NEW ALBANY
Museum
Columbus Jazz Orch: Best of Broadway
Ealy House Museum Open
Free Family Flick: The Incredibles
Healthy New Albany Farmers Market
Summer Concert Series: McGuffey Lane
Artist Opening Reception at Haley Gallery
Ealy House Museum Open
Healthy New Albany Farmers Market
Juneteenth Celebration
NA Parks & Rec Movie: Inside Out 2
Ealy House Museum Open
Healthy New Albany Farmers Market
Summer Concert Series: Grassinine
Ealy House Museum Open
City of New Albany Fireworks Display
Red White & Blues Jazz Arts Concert
Healthy New Albany Farmers Market
Summer Concert Series: Buzz Bin
Ealy House Museum Open
Free Family Flick: The Little Mermaid
Healthy New Albany Farmers Market
NA Parks & Rec Summer Movie: Moana 2
Ealy House Museum Open
New Albany Dance Festival
Healthy New Albany Farmers Market
Summer Concert Series: Yumbambe
Ealy House Museum Open
Healthy New Albany Farmers Market
Summer Concert Series: Fleetwood Gold
Ealy House Museum Open
Free Family Flick: Shrek
Healthy New Albany Farmers Market
Amp Up the Arts: The Music of Billy Joel
NA Parks & Rec Summer Movie: Happy Gilmore
Ealy House Museum Open
Healthy New Albany Farmers Market
Columbus Jazz Orch: Big Band Dance Party
Ealy House Museum
JULY/AUG
These nostalgic drive-ins, diners and root beer stands serve up retro charm with every bite.
42 Canal Days
Two centuries ago, Ohio broke ground on two major canals, forever changing the future of the state.
Rebecca Loomis creates delicate floral jewelry, and Tom Hamilton looks back on his broadcasting career.
11 Datebook
See vibrant works by Curtis Barnes Sr. in Dayton, and celebrate literature at the Columbus Book Festival.
Summer Place in Lakewood serves coastal fare with heart, and The Lot Beer Co. embraces nostalgia.
The Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta opened to the public on July 20, 1972.
CONNECT
NAICCO Cuisine: From fry bread topped with wojapi berry sauce to a one-third-pound bison burger, be on the lookout for the Columbus-based NAICCO Cuisine food trailer this summer. Operated by the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio as a way to connect with the community, the trailer serves Native American-inspired eats. ohiomagazine.com/naicco
The Wright Sister: Though Orville and Wilbur Wright were the ones in the spotlight for their innovations in the field of aviation, their sister Katherine was a not-so-silent partner in the brothers’ quest for mechanical flight. She was integral to their efforts, assisting them along the way and serving as an important force in their success. ohiomagazine.com/katherinewright
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS
destinations and charming attractions.
Akron, p. 47
Ashtabula, p. 7
Bethesda, p. 9
Bryan, p. 77
Canton, p. 47
Cincinnati, p. 8, 11
Cleveland, p. 14
Columbus, p. 14
Dayton, p. 12
Grandview Heights, p. 28
Granville, p. 29
Hilliard, p. 73
Kelleys Island, p. 14
Lakewood, p. 27
Marietta, p. 14
McConnelsville, p. 72
Millersburg, p. 76
Urbana, p. 76
Ohio Magazine encourages you to recycle this magazine. Great Lakes Publishing supports the use of paper milled from replanted forests as a renewable resource and purchases paper from FSC sources when available. We have also taken steps to reduce the amount of plastic used when mailing issues to our subscribers.
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President & Publisher Lute Harmon Jr.
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Balloons take to the sky during the annual Flag City Balloon Festival, held August 8 - 10 in Findlay! Hot Air Balloons will fly in, out, and over Emory Adams Park in competition and for fun. Each evening will be capped with the highly anticipated Glow! The balloons may be the star of the show, but this free festival has it all, including kids activities, fireworks, a car & motorcycle show, arts & crafts fair, great food, and more. Looking for more fun in Findlay? Take advantage of Findlay’s vibrant dining scene, enjoy a beverage of your choice, and shop until your heart’s content at our local boutiques. Plan your trip to Findlay at VisitFindlay.com.
Wine with friends
bread
great ohio Road Trips
We visit Wayne County to explore its agricultural roots, farmfresh eats, arts and nightlife scene, and cozy lodging options.
LINCOLN WAY VINEYARDS
Agricultural Roots
Wayne County boasts a rich agricultural heritage, and that is celebrated seven days a week at Local Roots Market & Cafe in downtown Wooster. Opened in 2009 to keep the farmers-market atmosphere alive year-round, Local Roots is a communityowned cooperative that sells local items such as produce, dry goods, and wine from Lincoln Way Vineyards, which is also located in Wooster and offers another way to experience the local agricultural heritage. Local Roots’ cafe is open daily for lunch, and a different chef is in the kitchen each day preparing dishes. Fresh, local products are also found at 3D Meats in Dalton. Open since 2014, 3D Meats offers custom processing and a retail store where locals can pick up meat products that are all prepared in-house. The custom processing allows people to purchase a steer or a hog and have it cut to their preferences. In the shop, visitors will find fresh brats, burgers, sausages, pork and ready-to-eat meals, as well as bundles of chicken, beef and pork. localrootswooster.com, lincolnwayvineyards.com, facebook.com/3DMeats
Drinks & Nightlife
Named for the ice factory once housed in the building, Minglewood Distilling Co. has been a fixture in Wooster since 2017. Open each weekend on Friday and Saturday, Minglewood’s bottle shop invites visitors in to try some of the brand’s 14 spirits. Spanning flavored whiskey, vodka and gin, the menu rotates seasonally. Those who want to learn more about the spirits can opt for a one-hour tour of the distillery to learn about its production process and history.
Big-city vibes meet small-town charm at Grigio Wine & Cocktail Bar in Wooster. Open since 2021, the establishment has a bourbon wall with more than 80 varieties, as well as an extensive collection of wines. The cocktail menu changes seasonally, with a mojito and varieties of espresso martinis on the menu for summer. Bourbon lovers can pick from any bottle on the wall to craft a smoked old fashioned, and a menu of mocktails ensures there is something for every customer. minglewooddistilling.com, grigiowooster.com
Arts & Culture
Since 1979, the Ohio Light Opera has been a fixture in Wayne County. Housed at the Freedlander Theatre on the campus of the College of Wooster, the Ohio Light Opera stages late 19th- and 20th-century works. Featuring both local and national performers, the 2025 summer season runs through Aug. 3 and features three musicals, including “Carousel” by Rogers and Hammerstein, and three operettas, such as “Patience” by Gilbert and Sullivan, that run in rotation through the season.
Named for the historic 1912 venue originally located a block over, The Lyric Theater opened on Wooster’s South Street in February 2025, offering three screens showing new-release, classic and art-house films. No movie would be complete without concessions, and The Lyric Theater offers classic snacks, as well as wine, frozen cocktails and beer. Movies aren’t all this spot has to offer, though, with live entertainment taking the stage on select occasions, including comedians, regional and national bands and local musicians. ohiolightopera.org, lyricwooster.org
Food Finds
Located in downtown Wooster, The City Square Steakhouse has been a favorite since 2008 and uses only Certified Angus Beef. The most popular cut on the restaurant’s menu is the petite, 5-ounce filet. Offerings rotate twice annually and feature a selection of pasta, seafood and steaks. The atmosphere is elevated, but never stuffy. Those looking for more casual fare can grab a seat at the bar and order from its separate menu, which includes burgers that have been favorites here since the restaurant opened its doors.
Providing three dining experiences under one roof, TJ’s & C.W.’s Restaurant in Wooster has been around since 1964. At one point, TJ’s, C.W.’s and a third venture called Melvin’s were separate restaurants, but owner Greg Tieche brought them together, creating a space that reflects the original restaurants’ three atmospheres. The main dining room is TJ’s and Melvin’s, and downstairs, C.W.’s offers a pub feel. The menu spans dishes from all three, including the fine dining walleye and steak from TJ’s, burgers and sandwiches from C.W.’s and wood-fired pizza from Melvin’s. citysquaresteakhouse.com, tjsrestaurants.com
Local Lodging
For a getaway offering city sights and easy access to shopping and dining, book a stay at the St. Paul Hotel in the heart of downtown Wooster. This 16-room location opened as a boutique hotel in 2011 and offers larger rooms boasting a mid-century modern feel and luxurious accommodations like heated floors and rainforest showerheads. Upon check-in, guests receive a complimentary snack and a breakfast form, which lets them order their meal to be delivered to their room the next morning. For a special occasion, book the Grand Suite, which features a private patio and hot tub.
Another option is to relax in the countryside at Sojourner’s Lodge and Cabin Suites. Here, guests will find peaceful and private accommodations, including 12 lodge suites located within three buildings, a cabin featuring two suites and a ranch house with four bedrooms. Duane and Gwen Miller opened Sojourner’s in 2006, and guests can find well-manicured grounds and gardens to explore and even book a 2- or-4-mile carriage ride led by a local Amish man. Birdhouses throughout the grounds add to the peaceful landscape, and guests are invited to visit with the property’s horse, Apollo. saintpaulhotel.com, sojournerslodgeohio.com
For more information about these and other destinations in Wayne County and the surrounding area, go to visitwaynecountyohio.com.
OHIO LIGHT OPERA
ST. PAUL HOTEL
THE CITY SQUARE STEAKHOUSE
Always in Season?
IT’S A SHORE THING
Shores & Islands Ohio is a yearround destination, just a short drive away. Take a ferry ride to a Lake Erie island, explore miles of beaches and natural trails, enjoy quaint downtowns and museums, and experience the beauty of the changing seasons across the region.
Find your Lake Erie Love at SHORESandISLANDS.com.
Drive-In Delights
I have a confession. I lived in northeast Ohio for years before I visited a Swensons Drive-In. In my defense, during my first decade here, I resided on Cleveland’s West Side and was insulated from the Swensons devotion one encounters closer to Akron, where the business got its start in 1934.
But by the time I tried my first Galley Boy burger (from Swensons’ food truck during a music festival in downtown Cleveland), it became immediately obvious that I was missing out on something great. So, I made my way to one of Akron’s Swensons locations to get the full experience: pulling the car into a space, turning my lights on to hail a curb server and enjoying a food experience that has been a fixture in this part of Ohio for generations.
Sure, there are drive-in restaurants in other parts of Ohio and elsewhere in the United States, but the concept has a stronghold in Akron, where not only Swensons but other spots with names like Skyway and Dilly’s provide the dining-in-your-car experience that became a popular tradition in this part of the state and never faded away.
The presence of Goodyear and Firestone may best account for this car-focused food culture in Akron, but retro drive-ins and their cousins, root beer stands, are found across Ohio. Many of the root beer stands started as A&W franchises before later striking out on their own, which accounts for the prevalence of orange-and-brown color schemes.
Drive-ins and root beer stands are made for summer, so we feature several of them in this issue’s cover story focusing on retro eats across our state. We also added diners to the mix, as they showcase the nostalgia that many of these frozen-in-time spots provide.
Obviously, any list is sure to overlook someone’s favorite, so we want to know what your go-to diners, drive-ins and root beer stands are. Tag us in your social media posts or send us an email, and you just might see your favorite in a future story.
As for Swensons, I moved to Akron in December, and my house just happens to be a few blocks away from the drive-in’s Hawkins Avenue location. I think that’s the universe telling me I need more Swensons in my life.
I’m going to listen.
JIM VICKERS
Lifting History
For centuries, the Ashtabula River has been the lifeblood of the city it runs through, serving as a hub for trade and industry. Along the city’s Front Street, the river is spanned by the Ashtabula Lift Bridge (sometimes referred to as the Bascule Lift Bridge due to its style mimicking that of a medieval drawbridge). In 1925, Wendell P. Brown designed the bridge, which uses a counterweight system to raise and lower, allowing boats to pass underneath. During the summer, the Ashtabula Lift Bridge raises on the hour and half hour, signaled by a horn that alerts vehicles and pedestrians to wait before crossing. Today, it is the only operational bridge of its kind in Ohio still open to both cars and foot traffic. Front Street, Ashtabula 44004, ashtabulacounty.us
Budding Craft: Rebecca Loomis of Cincinnati’s Rebecca Noel Designs transforms real flowers into a line of jewelry that is as intricate as it is beautiful.
Summer Sanctuary: Epworth Park in Bethesda is one of Ohio’s last Chautauqua communities, filled with historic cottages and a long legacy as a summertime retreat.
Budding Craft
Rebecca Loomis of Cincinnati transforms real flowers into a line of jewelry that is as intricate as it is beautiful.
Rebecca Loomis’ crafting origin story is a familiar one. Her love for making things began as a simple hobby, working alongside her siblings and mother on various art projects. When she was younger, she worked part time at bead stores and even participated in a metalsmithing class during high school that solidified her love for crafting jewelry.
In 2013, Loomis moved from her hometown of Cincinnati to Vancouver, Washington. She worked various jobs but tried to dedicate time each week to creating jewelry she would sell to friends or at a few local maker events each month. During those eight years in the Pacific Northwest, she began noticing and finding inspiration in the plants of the region.
“[I became] interested in … these flowers or shrubs that I’ve never seen before,” Loomis recalls. “It was really fun to start incorporating some of that into my jewelry.”
In June 2021, Loomis returned to Cincinnati to be closer to family and subsequently turned her jewelry-making business, Rebecca Noel Designs, into a full-time operation. For each piece of jewelry, she begins by drying her own flowers, which are foraged, grown or bought from a local shop. After applying a thin layer of resin to the bezel that serves as the base of her creations, she uses tweezers, toothpicks and an X-Acto knife to pick up, cut and arrange the plants into a design. She then adds a second layer of resin and puts the pieces in plastic cases to let the resin set.
Her mini botanical necklaces are dainty in size and work as everyday jewelry pieces. Loomis says she wants to create custom
pieces using customers’ wedding or funeral flowers and has dreams of a birth-flower line.
“It’s almost like a mindfulness practice, just seeing what’s around you,” Loomis says. “It becomes sort of a hobby where you’re trying to identify [plants], so having that translate into jewelry pieces has been really cool and rewarding.” — Kelly Powell
For more information, visit rebeccanoeldesigns.com.
Summer Sanctuary
Epworth Park in Bethesda is one of Ohio’s last Chautauqua communities, filled with historic cottages and a long legacy as a summertime retreat.
Doug Frizzi says that Epworth Park is the best kept secret in Belmont County, and he’d like that to change. Frizzi is the chairman of the Epworth Park Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the legacy of this little-known destination, which began as a Methodist campground in 1870 and is one of the few remaining Chautauqua communities in Ohio.
Coin
Taking home a blue ribbon from the Ohio State Fair is a commendable achievement, but this wasn’t always awarded as the top prize. As far back as the ancient Greek Olympic games, cups and chalices have been common prizes for all manner of contests, and in the 19th century, they were often made of silver, such as this “Ohio State Board of Agriculture Premium” vessel.
“We really are trying to resurrect the Chautauqua values,” he says, referring to these communities’ focus on cultural enrichment through lectures, artistic expression and group activities. The highlight of Epworth Park is the 60 cottages that range in size from 600 to nearly 1,500 square feet, some of which were built more than 150 years ago.
“My cottage is one of the newest in the park,” Frizzi says, “and it was built in 1915.”
Frizzi points out that they are cottages, not homes. Many were built just as shelter for the Chautauqua events held during the summer, replacing the tent city that had sprouted in the area as part of the Chautauqua movement, which began in the late 1800s.
Epworth Park drew notable speakers during its heyday, including evangelist Billy Sunday, William McKinley (prior to his election as president) and William Jennings Bryan, McKinley’s opponent in the 1896 and 1900 presidential elections. Epworth Park has been added to America’s official Chautauqua Trail, and an application for its designation on the National Register of Historic Places is expected to be processed sometime this summer.
Many of the cottages remain closely held, but the community is trying to become more open. The park’s outdoor auditorium is available for rental, but the homes are not. Visitors are welcome to experience the community during the annual Chautauqua Days hosted by the cottage owners and held each July (scheduled for July 12 and 13 in 2025).
“The first question everyone asks is if they can rent these. There is a great interest in it, and that’s something I think will be addressed down the road,” Frizzi says. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard, ‘We’ve never been to this place and it’s amazing.’” — Vince Guerrieri
215 N. Main St., Bethesda 43719, 740/330-3047, epworthpark.org
In the mid-1800s, silver manufacturing firms were consolidating, with the production of goods moving away from local shops to larger regional firms that sent work out to be finished by local retailers. Such is the case with this cup, which was manufactured by William Gale and Son of New York and then retailed by Cowles and Albertson in Cleveland. In 1852, the Ohio State Fair was held in Cleveland, making it most likely the year this cup was awarded as a prize.
In the years following the Civil War, silver plate began to rapidly displace solid silver in manufactured goods, and the transition was made from awarding cups and medals at the fair to the more easily produced ribbons. —
Hollie Davis
$338.25 SOLD
Hollie Davis is a co-owner of Meander Auctions in Whipple, Ohio.
OHIO STATE FAIR CUP
silver cup with floral and grapevine decoration
Surrounded by pristine forests, lakes and rivers, crisscrossed by miles of trails at the edge of the Appalachian Mountains, London is where adventure begins. Ride some wild Class IV white water one day and float serenely down a scenic flat-water river on a kayak the next. Go skiing on beautiful, cliff-lined Laurel River Lake or scuba diving in its clear, deep water. And with year-round fishing, boating and paddling, it’s an angler’s and recreational water lover’s paradise. VisitLondonKY.com
Adventure’s Beginning!
Tom Hamilton has been the radio voice of the Cleveland Guardians for over 30 years.
Pitch Perfect
Soon to be recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, Tom Hamilton looks back on his iconic career as the radio voice of the Cleveland Guardians.
Since 1990, Tom Hamilton has been the sound of summer in northeast Ohio. The Wisconsin native was already a seasoned broadcaster when he came to Cleveland to take a job with Herb Score in the radio booth calling games for the Cleveland Guardians, and he’s been there ever since.
Although Hamilton has also called college basketball and football games, he has had his greatest success and greatest recognition through his work for the Guardians, first at Cleveland Stadium and now “at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario,” as he intones at the start of each game.
Hamilton was inducted into the Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Press Club Hall of Fame and received the lifetime achievement award at the Cleveland Sports Awards. This year, he’ll be honored at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum during induction weekend, July 25 through 28, as the Ford Frick Award winner, an honor given each year to an outstanding baseball announcer. “It hasn’t really sunk in,” he says of the recognition. We talked with Hamilton about his start in Cleveland and what he’s looking forward to during induction weekend. — Vince Guerrieri
You came to Cleveland in 1990. Did you have any inkling of the success or durability you might have here?
A: Heavens no. This is a very unpredictable business. … One of the things I was so grateful for — and am to this day — is that Herb Score took me in and respected me as an equal, even though I never was his equal. Fans loved and respected Herb so much. Because of his acceptance of me, the fans accepted me.
What are you looking forward to most when you go to Cooperstown for induction weekend?
A: I’m almost ashamed to say I’ve never gone through the Hall of Fame. The Indians played a couple exhibition games in Cooperstown in the 1990s, but I didn’t go to the Hall of Fame because I was always planning to take my boys in the offseason. … I think it’ll be neat to see [former Indians pitcher] CC Sabathia get in. He’s a great guy and I think the world of him. And I’ll get to see Jim Thome’s plaque. He’s another great guy.
You’ve had a varied career, covering football, baseball and basketball. Is there anything you feel like you haven’t done?
A: I’ve always loved radio, because it’s a play-by-play medium. In television, the camera does the play-by-play. I remember watching Merle Harmon and Fred Taylor doing the Big Ten game of the week and thinking, “Wouldn’t it be something to do that?” I know how fortunate I have been, and I feel like I’ve lived out my dreams.
For more information, go to mlb.com/guardians.
DATEBOOK
Ohio River Paddlefest
Aug. 2: Cincinnati
Billed as “The Nation’s Largest Paddling Celebration,” Ohio River Paddlefest returns this summer with two ways to experience the event. Enjoy the full-length Paddlefest Classic (a 9-mile route) or the halflength Paddlefest Mini (a 4.5-mile route). All participants are free to float down the Ohio River in their paddle craft of choice. Those who don’t own their own paddleboard can rent one ahead of time to take part in the 9-miler. Attendees can also spend the evening of Aug. 1 at the Outdoors for All Expo at Schmidt Recreation Complex and enjoy local brews, exhibitors, live music and more. ohioriverpaddlefest.org
Local Legacy: A new exhibition at the Dayton Art Institute showcases works by the late Curtis Barnes Sr., a community leader who left a lasting impact on the city he called home
Calendar of Events: Your summer plans start here. Check out our guide to festivals, concerts and other happenings scheduled between now and the end of August.
DATEBOOK
A new exhibition at the Dayton Art Institute showcases works by the late Curtis Barnes Sr., a painter and community leader who left a lasting impact on the city he called home.
By Ilona Westfall
AT-shirt is an unlikely catalyst for an art exhibition, but a new show at the Dayton Art Institute was conceived after curator Jerry N. Smith’s serendipitous encounter with a woman wearing a shirt adorned with a Curtis Barnes painting.
The woman was Barnes’ daughter, Diana Barnes Cary, and their following conversation quickly turned to exhibit planning. The resulting show, “Curtis Barnes, Sr., Dayton Icon,” runs July 12 through Sept. 14 and features 105 paintings by the late artist, all on loan from the Barnes family and the artist’s friends. The works show Barnes’ vibrant mix of naturalism and abstraction and his penchant for portraits. One example is the 36-painting series titled “Westwood Community Portraits,” which depicts members of his local community center.
“They range from these kind of abstractions to some a little more detailed — all very colorful images — and they’re just wonderful,” Smith says. “He really does blend abstraction with naturalism in his work.”
Other works depict still-life subjects, jazz musicians, biblical references and African masks. Barnes was born in 1935 in North Carolina and grew up during the Jim Crow era, which shaped his work.
“He’s exploring his African American heritage while at the same time exploring the way Black culture at times has had to mask themselves to fit into the dominant white society,” Smith says. “The masks are about hiding but also celebrating Black culture.”
Barnes co-founded the African American Visual Artist Guild, helped start the Dayton African American Cultural Festival and was a founder of Genesis III, an African American art coalition from the ’70s. He believed in giving back to the community through education and was an art teacher at Dayton Public Schools and a professor at Sinclair Community College.
“He was in our community, and that kind of thing can be eye opening for people to have that sense of, ‘I could maybe do this.’” Smith says. “It really is an exciting opportunity to share an artist from this community with this community.”
456 Belmonte Park N., Dayton 45405, 937/223-4278, daytonartinstitute.org
“MASKS”
UNTITLED
DATEBOOK
Columbus Book Festival
July 12–13: Columbus
Book lovers unite in downtown Columbus this summer as Topiary Park comes alive to show off more than its iconic greenery. Taking over the park and the neighboring Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Library, the Columbus Book Festival features a marketplace of more than 200 visiting authors, food trucks and more. The free event began in 2023 as a part of the library’s 150th anniversary celebration and has returned every year since.
“We planned to do the festival as a one-time anniversary gift to the community,” says Columbus Book Festival manager Mikalene Guiser. “It had such a great response that we decided we needed to continue it.”
The festival has garnered a positive reputation not only among readers but among authors as well, with an attendee list that this year includes headliners Amal ElMohtar, Gregg Hurwitz, Wally Lamb, Mary Alice Mon-
festival
Island Fest July 18–20: Kelleys Island
Victoria Christopher Murray and Anna Todd. Other featured authors will discuss their craft during panel discussions, lead activities in the Children’s Area and participate in book signings throughout the weekend. Tickets for the headliners’ talks are free but limited, so check the schedule for appearance times and reserve tickets online prior to the event.
One of the most popular aspects of the weekend is the Festival Marketplace, where vendors line Topiary Park’s paths to sell book-related merchandise. Elsewhere in the festival, attendees can introduce themselves to independently published authors in Indie Author Alley or browse the Big Book Sale for deals on used titles. Visitors can also settle in by one of the two festival stages for a musical performance, poetry reading or story time, all of which emphasize the festival’s commitment to putting readers in touch with writers and other book lovers.
“What we’re doing [is] trying to be a good community partner and provide an atmosphere that really connects customers to books,” Guiser says.
— Emma Shinker
96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus 43215, 614/645-2275, columbusbookfestival.org
Clock in on island time for a weekend of fun under the sun during this annual festival at Kelleys Island. This year’s theme is Boats ’n Boots, and visitors can enjoy three days of festivities, including delicious food, a beer tent with cold brews, arts and crafts vendors and live music. Be sure to visit the festival on Saturday, where a parade kicks off the festivities in the morning, and fireworks over the water end a perfect summer day. kelleysisland.com
theater
Kimberly Akimbo
July 15–Aug. 3: Cleveland
See this five-time Tony Awardwinning musical at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square this summer. Follow the story of 16-yearold Kimberly as her family moves to New Jersey, and watch as she navigates her health, family issues and even a first crush in this hilariously heartwarming show that is sure to bring out the optimist in everyone. playhouse square.org
music
Thunderstruck: America’s AC/DC Tribute
Aug. 22: Marietta
Enjoy a tribute to AC/DC at Peoples Bank Theatre as the popular cover band takes the stage with the same energy and intensity as the original. Featuring vocalist Bobby Lee Stamper, this loud and live show covers hits like “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” and “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You).” peoplesbank theatre.com
roe,
CALENDAR
JULY
Central festivals
JULY 12–13
Columbus Book Festival
This free festival has over 200 authors, author talks, panel discussions and book signings. Explore the Festival Marketplace, which features Indie Author Alley, retailers, entertainment and delicious food. Main Library and Topiary Park, 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus, 614/645-2275. columbusbookfesitval.org. Sat.10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free.
JULY 18–20
Jazz & Rib Fest
Dig into offerings from award-winning pitmasters and Columbus-area food trucks. Plus, hear performances from world-class musicians on one of many stages. West Bank Park and Bicentennial Park, 233 Civic Center Dr., Columbus, hotribscooljazz.org. Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Free.
JULY 23–AUG 3
Ohio State Fair
Enjoy food, animals, rides, shopping, arts, entertainment, agriculture, music, education, hands-on activities, live music and so much more at the Ohio State Fair. Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds, 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, 614/644-3247. ohiostatefair.com. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 26
Delaware Music Festival
The Delaware Music Festival highlights local
bands from the community with eight live performances throughout the day. Boardman Arts Park, 154 W. William St., Delaware, 614/2268744. boardmanartspark.org. Noon–8 p.m. $8–$10.
JULY 26
Whitehall Food Truck & Fun Fest
Get a taste of Whitehall and spend the day eating from over 35 food truck vendors, listening to live music and shopping from local craft vendors. Downtown Whitehall, 573 S. Yearling Rd., Whitehall, whitehallfoodtruckfest.com. Visit website for times and prices.
MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS
THRU SEPT 1
Sharks: To Be Great Is To Be Misunderstood Celebrate sharks with this massive exhibition dedicated to the ancient fish. See dozens of models ranging from 5.5 inches to 35 feet long. Plus, look through fossils from the museum’s collections and try interactive exhibits. COSI, 333 W. Broad St., Columbus, 614/228-2674. cosi. org. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 26–OCT 3
A Common Thread
The Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery presents “A Common Thread.” The exhibition, curated by Caren Petersen and Char Norman, features 16 Ohio artists. Image Credit: Erika Holycross, “Pennies from Heaven.” Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery, 77 S High St, Columbus, 614/644-9624. riffegallery.org. Tues.–Fri. Noon – 5 p.m. Free.
MUSIC + THEATER
JULY 5–13
9 to 5 The Musical
Enjoy this workplace show set to music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. The musical tells the story of three office mates seeking revenge on an evil boss and the chaos that ensues. Woodward Opera House, 107 S. Main St., Mt. Vernon, 740/462-3163. thewoodward.org. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 8–20
Hamilton
Experience the revolutionary story of Alexander Hamilton in this groundbreaking musical that
State Regions
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traces his rise in a new nation as he fights for love, legacy and lasting impact. Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., Columbus, 614/469-0939. capa. com. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 26–27
Picnic with the Pops: The Ohio State University Marching Band
Wear your scarlet and gray to see “The Best Damn Band in the Land” perform with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Columbus Commons, 160 S. High St., Columbus, 614/5454701. columbussymphony.com. 8 p.m. Visit website for prices.
OTHER EVENTS
JULY 14
Jack Hanna Legacy Cup
Spend an afternoon on the grounds of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium discovering fun surprises, winning prizes and taking part in a putting contest. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 W. Powell Rd., Powell, 614/645-3400. columbuszoo.org. 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Visit website for prices.
JULY 26
Conservatory Explore: Brick Nights: Knights & Princesses
Bring the little ones to this evening celebrating castles, dragons and fairy tales. Let their imaginations run wild by encouraging them to dress up in costume. Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, 1777 E. Broad St., Columbus, 614/715-8000. fpconservatory.org. 5–9 p.m. Visit website for prices.
JULY 26
Neat: A Bourbon Event
Sample dozens of pours from heritage distilleries and craft producers alike. Enjoy handcrafted cocktails, live music, a bourbon makers market-
place, expert-led classes, giveaways and more. Cherry Valley Hotel , 2299 Cherry Valley Rd. SE, Newark, 740/788-1200. cherryvalleyhotel.com. 5–9 p.m. Visit website for prices.
Northeast
festivals
JULY 12
Farmfest
Get a glimpse into daily life at the Farmpark, including wagon rides, backyard flock education and cooking demonstrations. Plus, meet clubs studying bees, wool and antique tractors. Lake Metroparks Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd., Kirtland, 440/639-7275. lakemetroparks. com. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free.
JULY 12
Lehman’s Summer Celebration
Bring the family and celebrate summer at Lehman’s. This 70th anniversary festival features inflatables, cotton candy, balloon art,
homemade ice cream, ’50s music and more. Lehman’s, 4779 Kidron Rd., Kidron, 800/4385346. lehmans.com. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Free.
JULY 12
Maple Splash Festival
This exciting event offers a lively mix of food, drinks, live music and games. Don’t forget to enter the raffle for a chance to win the grand prize of a 2024 Ford F-150. Century Village Museum, 14653 E. Park St., Burton, 440/477-8872. maplesplashraffle.com. 2–9 p.m. Free.
JULY 19
Willoughby ArtsFest
This festival draws in talented artists and enthusiastic attendees from across the region. More than 160 juried artists showcase a vibrant array of artistic works ranging from paintings to mixed media. Downtown Willoughby, 440/942-1632. willoughbyartsfest.com. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free.
JULY 25–27
Wine & Walleye Festival
Shop local art and food vendors while sampling
two northeast Ohio favorites. Make sure to register for the fishing tournament taking place at the harbor. Historic Ashtabula Harbor, 1003 Bridge St., Ashtabula, wineandwalleyefestival. com. Visit website for times and prices.
MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS
THRU JULY 27
Apeiron: Eco-Art of John Sabraw
View this solo exhibition incorporating sculpture, painting and video. Artist John Sabraw displays pieces that focus on the pressing environmental concerns our planet faces today. Canton Museum of Art, 1001 Market Rd. N., Canton, 330/453-7666. cantonart.org. Visit website for times and prices.
THRU JULY 27
Art & Activism from the CMA Collection
See a variety of media depicting activism and inspiring dialogue, including pieces by John Lawrence Doyle and Rockwell Kent. Canton Museum of Art, 1001 Market Rd. N., Canton, 330/453-7666. cantonart.org. Visit website for times and prices.
THRU AUG 10
Trickster Spirits: Demons, Foxes and Tengu in Japanese Folklore
See a selection of artwork depicting demons, foxes and tengu. Learn about the symbolism behind these beings and consider how their folklore reflects society. Allen Memorial Art Museum, 87 N. Main St., Oberlin, 440/775-8665. oberlin.edu. Visit website for times and prices.
THRU AUG 31
Planetarium Show: Auras of the Celestial Worlds
Explore the solar system; view Venus’ clouds and Pluto’s frigid haze. Take a look into how atmospheres determine weather, sculpt landscapes and harbor the potential for life. Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., Cleveland, 216/231-4600. cmnh.org. Visit website for times and prices.
THRU SEPT 24
DinoTrek
Get up close and personal with 20 dinosaurs on display at the Akron Zoo. Plus, explore the Dino Lab, enjoy interactive kids activities and even meet baby dinosaurs. Akron Zoo, 500 Edgewood Ave., Akron, 330/375-2550. akronzoo.org. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $11–$21.
THRU OCT 26
Grandma & Grandpa’s Attic
This special exhibition features artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection arranged by generation from the 1890s through the 1980s.
View vintage clothing, furniture, toys and more. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, 800 McKinley Monument Dr. NW, Canton, 330/4557043. mckinleymuseum.org. Visit website for times and prices.
THRU OCT 26
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Delve into photos showcasing several different species of animals and their awe-inspiring behavior. Plus, celebrate the biodiversity of Earth and learn more about the role we can play in protecting our home. Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Dr., Cleveland, 216/231-4600. cmnh.org. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 12–AUG 9
Both Sides of the Brain
This exhibit features paintings and drawings by northeast Ohio artist Kit Palencar. A public reception will be held July 12 at Strauss Studios in Canton. Strauss Studios, 236 Walnut Ave. NE, Canton, 330/456-0300. straussfurniture.com. Visit website for times. Free.
MUSIC + THEATER
JULY 15–AUG 3
Kimberly Akimbo
See this five-time Tony Award-winning musical that follows the story of 16-year-old Kimberly as she navigates family drama, health issues and a first crush. Playhouse Square, 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216/241-6000. playhousesquare. org. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 17
Jesse Garron’s Tribute to Elvis Musica Concert
Experience Jesse Garron’s acclaimed Elvis tribute at Gervasi Vineyard’s Musica Concert Series. Prepare for an unforgettable evening of live music, wine and scenic beauty in a stunning outdoor setting. Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa, 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, 330/497-1000. gervasivineyard.com. 8 p.m. $31–$41.
JULY 18
Judy Collins
Hear the sublime vocal prowess of Judy Collins,
Canfield Fair, Canfield Fairgrounds @Lisa Denton
Summer Fun
a singer-songwriter who has been an integral part of the music industry. Enjoy her renditions of contemporary and traditional folk songs. Robins Theatre, 160 E. Market St., Warren, 234/4376246. robinstheatre.com. 7 p.m. $33–$67.
JULY 19
The Redbuds: An Evening of Acoustic Folk Music
This all-female folk group from Columbus performs Appalachian folk songs utilizing the fiddle, guitar, banjo and upright bass. Buffalo Creek Retreat, 8708 Hubbard Valley Rd., Seville, 419/853-6016. ormaco.org. 7–9 p.m. Free.
JULY 25
Back Porch Swing Band
Enjoy a variety of old-timey music ranging from Americana and early country to foot-tapping swing and early rock ’n’ roll. John Streeter Garden Amphitheater, 2122 Williams Rd., Wooster, 419/853-6016. ormaco.org. 6:30 p.m. Free.
JULY 26
Sanctus Real
This Ohio-based Christian rock trio has released eight No. 1 singles and 10 studio albums, including “All Along,” which features the hit “My God Is Still the Same.” Ohio Star Theater, 1387 Old Rte. 39 NE, Sugarcreek, 855/344-7547. dhgroup. com. 7 p.m. $30–$68.49.
OTHER EVENTS
JULY 11
Woof Stock Yappy Hour
4243 S. Columbus Rd., Wooster, 330/263-4345.
JULY 18–19
720 MKT + TACO PARTY
Celebrate summer with a multitude of taco trucks, as well as the famous makers, bakers, brewers and growers of 720 Market at the historic Hoover Park. Enjoy live music and free crafts. Walsh University Hoover Park, 1875 E. Maple St., North Canton, 330-571-0367. eventsby720. com. Fri. 4–9 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Free.
JULY 26–27
Zoar Antiques and Artisans Show
Shop from over 60 dealers, artisans and folk artists selling high-quality antiques and juried artisan works. Historic Zoar Village, 198 Main St., Zoar, 330/874-3011. historiczoarvillage.com. Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Adults $12, children 12 and under free.
JULY 31–AUG 3
Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend
This celebration includes a packed lineup of events like the Hall of Fame Game, Class of 2025 Enshrinement, the Concert for Legends featuring Nickelback and more. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2121 George Halas Dr. NW, Canton, 330/456-8207. visitcanton.com. Visit website for times and prices.
Northwest festivals
JULY 12
Defiance Jazz Festival
Enjoy a laid-back day of smooth sounds and soulful rhythms at this outdoor jazz festival featuring performances by Djangophonique, Atla & Matt DeChamplain, Theron Brown and more. Kingsbury Park, 118 Auglaize St., Defiance, 419/782-0739. visitdefianceohio.com. 3:30 p.m. Adults $5, children free.
JULY 15–20
Summer Moon Festival
Celebrate astronaut Neil Armstrong in his home-
HEY
town of Wapakoneta during this six-day event. Many festivities take place downtown and at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum. Armstrong Air & Space Museum, 500 Apollo Dr., Wapakoneta, 419/738-2911. summermoonfestival.com. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 18–19
Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest
Experience the magic of this free festival that features a musical fireworks show, hot air balloons, food, live music and more. Plus, enter to win a tethered balloon ride. 10020 S. Compass Dr., Rossford, 855/765-5451. rossfordbff.com. 5–11 p.m. Free.
JULY 18–20
Island Fest
Come to Kelleys Island’s largest event of the year, which is packed with local fare, craft vendors, a beer tent and street dancing. Make sure to catch the parade Saturday morning and the fireworks at dusk. Veteran’s Memorial Park, 112 Division St., Kelleys Island, 419/746-2360. shoresandislands.com. 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Free.
JULY 25–27
Celina Lake Festival
Don’t miss this family-friendly event featuring live musical entertainment, carnival rides, an Amphicars Parade, fireworks and more. Downtown Celina, Lake Shore Drive, Celina, celinalakefest. com. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 25–27
Northwest Ohio Rib Off Country Weekend
This festival draws top pitmasters from across the country to compete for rib supremacy. Local grillers and live entertainers promise to bring the heat. Lucas County Fairgrounds, 1406 Key St., Maumee, nworiboff.com. Visit website for times and prices.
MUSEUMS + EXHIBITS
THRU JULY 27
Rachel Ruysch: Nature Into Art
Take a look into the work of Rachel Ruysch, a Dutch floral still-life painter whose career spanned the late 17th to the mid-18th centuries. Ruysch defied gender norms and became one of the most successful artists of her era. Toledo Museum of Art, 2445 Monroe St., Toledo, 419/255-8000. toledomuseum.org. Visit website for times and prices.
OTHER EVENTS
THRU AUG 1
Limaland Motorsport Park Races
High-speed action and roaring engines light up Friday nights at this quarter-mile dirt track,
drawing racing fans for thrilling competition and a vibrant, high-octane atmosphere. Limaland Motorsports Park, 1500 Dutch Hollow Rd., Lima, 419/998-3199. limaland.com. 7:30–10:30 p.m.
Visit website for prices.
Southeast festivals
JULY 11–13
Lilyfest
Explore the beauty of the Hocking Hills during this annual festival at Bishop Educational Gardens. In addition to the beautiful flowers, enjoy live music, guided nature hikes and family activities. Bishop Educational Gardens, 13200 Little Cola Rd., Rockbridge, 740/969-2873. lilyfest. com. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 25–27
Rock Coshocton Motor Show
Prepare for a high-energy weekend packed with live music, motorsports action, vendors and camping. This three-day festival brings together fans of high horsepower, good tunes and nonstop excitement. Coshocton County Fairgrounds, 707 Kenilworth Ave., Coshocton, rockcoshoctonmusic.com. Fri.–Sun. 5–11 p.m.
Visit website for prices.
JULY 26–27
Frankfort Sunflower Festival
Spend two days immersed in sunflower-themed fun in downtown Frankfort. Festivities include a 5K and fun run, sunflower and craft shows, a baby contest, kiddie tractor pull and more. Downtown Frankfort, Springfield Street, Frankfort, sunflowerfestival.net. Visit website for times and prices.
MUSIC + THEATER
THRU AUG 31
Tecumseh Outdoor Drama
Experience the legendary story of “Tecumseh!” in this unforgettable outdoor drama blending history, excitement and stunning live performances under the stars. It’s a must-see event for families and history buffs alike. Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheater, 5968 Marietta Rd., Chillicothe, 866/775-0700. tecumsehdrama. com. Tues.–Sat. 8 p.m. $20–$75.
JULY 26
Trace Adkins: What Colors Your Wild Tour
Country music star Trace Adkins returns to the Peoples Bank Theatre stage with his “What Colors Your Wild” tour. Prepare for an unforgettable night of powerhouse vocals and great country hits. Peoples Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St.,
Marietta, 740/371-5152. peoplesbanktheatre. com. 8–10 p.m. $99–$264.
Southwest festivals
JULY 25–27
Annie Oakley Festival
Honor the life of Darke County’s most famous daughter with several sharp-shootin’ activities. See cowboy-mounted shooting demonstrations, musical performances and more. Darke County Fairgrounds, 800 Sweitzer St., Greenville, 937/564-8060. annieoakleyfestival.org. Visit website for times and prices.
museums + exhibits
THRU AUG 24
Cycle Thru! The Art of the Bike
See over 20 bicycles spanning styles of the 1860s to present day, courtesy of The Bicycle Museum of America in New Bremen. The bikes are paired with contemporary art and selections from the Cincinnati Art Museum’s collections. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Dr., Cincinnati, 513/721-2787. cincinnatiartmuseum. org. Visit website for times. Free.
THRU SEPT 1
Barbie: A Cultural Icon
Featuring over 300 artifacts from 1959 to today, this exhibit showcases the evolution of the world’s most diverse doll. Explore Barbie’s influence on fashion, pop culture and imagination. Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Cincinnati, 513/287-7000. cincymuseum.org. Visit website for times and prices.
THRU SEPT 21
Farm to Table: Food and Identity in the Age of Impressionism
Explore how gastronomy, art and national identity intersect in this exhibit showcasing more than 60 works, including pieces from Claude Monet, Victor Gilbert and Vincent van Gogh. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Dr., Cincinnati, 513/721-2787. cincinnatiartmuseum. org. Visit website for times and prices.
JULY 12–SEPT 14
Curtis Barnes Sr., Dayton Icon
Curtis Barnes Sr. was a longtime fixture of Dayton’s art scene, known for his vibrant and experimental style. Celebrate his legacy through this exhibition that opens on the 90th anniversary of his birth. Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park N., Dayton, 937/223-4278. daytonartinstitute. org. Visit website for times and prices.
MUSIC + THEATER
JULY 12
Sounds of Beauty and Wonder featuring the Cincinnati Opera
Take part in interactive instrument-making, followed by a lively introduction to opera featuring performances from members of the Cincinnati Opera. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum, 1763 Hamilton Cleves Rd., Hamilton, 513/8688336. pyramidhill.org. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Free.
JULY 25–26
Cincinnati Music Festival
See big name acts across two days at this annual festival that has been a beloved tradition of the Queen City since 1961. This year’s headliners include Earth, Wind & Fire on Friday and LL Cool J on Saturday. Paycor Stadium, 1 Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, cincymusicfestival.com. Visit website for times and prices.
OTHER EVENTS
JULY 25
Zoo La Palooza
Bring your young explorers for an action-packed evening, diving into the incredible world of plants and animals. Visitors can take part in hands-on activities and animal encounters. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, 513/281-4700. cincinnatizoo.org. Visit website for times and prices.
AUGUST
Central festivals
AUG 1–3
Dublin Irish Festival
Be energized by the spirit of the Emerald Isle with three days of traditional Irish dance, music and culture. Coffman Park, 5200 Emerald Pkwy.,
Dublin, 614/410-4545. dublinirishfestival.org. Visit website for times and prices.
AUG 7–9
Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival
Celebrate 60 years of this festival that honors the city’s legacy as the birthplace of the tomato. Enjoy food, music, contests, a car show and more. Huber Park, 1640 Davidson Dr., Reynoldsburg, 614/322-6839. reytomatofest.com. Thurs.–Fri. 4–10 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Free.
AUG 8–10
¡Festival Latino!
Celebrate the heart of Latin America with this two-day gathering filled with authentic food, traditional fashion, bold art and dance and activities for the little ones. Genoa Park, 303 W. Broad St., Columbus, festivallatino.net. 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Visit website for prices.
AUG 31–SEPT 1
Ohio Cup Vintage Baseball Festival
See vintage baseball teams take part in an old-fashioned version of the game. Players are
dressed in vintage uniforms and each head-tohead is played with 1860s rules. Ohio History Center, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, 614/2972300. ohiohistory.org. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free.
MUSIC + THEATER
AUG 16
Key of Us
Enjoy this instrumental concert by musicians Tia Ward and Asa Simpson-Cole, also known as String Impact. The duo will play with a host of central Ohio musicians for an evening of soul, R&B and jazz. Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St., Columbus, 614/384-5639. capa.com. 7 p.m.
Visit website for prices.
AUG 23
Jay Leno Tour
Join the legendary comedian and former “Tonight Show” host for an unforgettable evening of sharp wit, classic storytelling and big laughs. Knox Memorial Theater, 112 E. High St., Mount Vernon, 740/462-4278. mvac.org. 8 p.m. $49–$119.
FOR FESTIVALS SUMMERS ARE IN COLUMBUS!
Northeast festivals
AUG 1–2
Vintage Ohio Wine Festival
Enjoy many amazing Ohio wines, taste scrumptious food, experience cooking demonstrations, shop from artisans and listen to live musical entertainment. Lake Metroparks Farmpark, 8800 Euclid Chardon Rd., Kirtland, 440/466-4417. visitvintageohio.com. Visit website for times and prices.
AUG 7–10
40th Warren Italian-American Festival
Celebrate four decades of tradition at this festival rooted in family, culture and community spirit. Enjoy live music, bocce tournaments, wine tasting, cultural displays, parades, pageants, a traditional Italian Mass and authentic Italian food. Courthouse Square, 141 E. Market St., Warren, 330/675-3081. trulytrumbull.com. Thurs. 4–11 p.m., Fri.–Sun. 11 a.m.–11 p.m.
AUG 8–10
North Ridgeville Corn Festival
This annual celebration highlights one of summer’s favorite treats. Enjoy live entertainment, a mile-long parade and a corn-eating contest. South Central Park, 7565 Avon Belden Rd., North Ridgeville, 440/218-9802. nrcornfest.org. Visit website for times. Free.
AUG 9–10
Shaker Woods Festival
Explore over 200 juried craftspeople, live entertainment, country cooking and Shakerera charm along beautifully manicured, rustic wooded paths. There are additional event dates Aug. 16 and 17 and Aug. 23 and 24. Shaker Woods Grounds, 44337 Columbiana Line Rd., Columbiana, shakerwoods.com. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Adults $10, children 12 and under free.
AUG 14–17
Feast of the Assumption Cleveland Celebrate Italian heritage at this massive street fair in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood. Enjoy live music, games, inflatables and traditional
cuisine served up by beloved local restaurants. Holy Rosary Church, 12021 Mayfield Rd., Cleveland, 216/421-2995. littleitalyfeast.com. Visit website for times. Free.
AUG 29–31
Made in Ohio Art & Craft Festival
This event showcases local artisans, food and history. Explore handmade goods, including pottery, jewelry, glass and more. Local wines, craft beer and food are available. Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Rd., Peninsula, 330/6663711. madeinohiofestival.org. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Adults $12, children ages 3–12 $6.
MUSIC + THEATER
AUG 10
Cliff Habian Trio
Enjoy an evening of smooth, dynamic jazz featuring three of northeast Ohio’s top jazz musicians. See Cliff Habian on piano, Jeff Slater on bass and Eric Everett on drums. Wadsworth Public Library, 132 Broad St., Wadsworth, 419/853-6016. ormaco.org. 2–3 p.m. Free.
AUG 15
Music at the Arboretum: Gruca White Ensemble
Classical guitarist Robert Gruca and flautist Linda White perform using both written and improvised musical forms, drawing from musical experiences that include conservatory training and jazz studies. John Streeter Garden Amphitheater, 2122 Williams Rd., Wooster, 419/8536016. ormaco.org. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Free.
AUG 16
Country Waves Concert Featuring Jackson Dean
Don’t miss country music stars Jackson Dean and Matt Stell live at Atwood Lake Park and campground. Atwood Lake Park, 9500 Lakeview Rd., NE, Mineral City, 330/343-6780. mwcd.org. 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m. General admission $35, VIP admission $75.
AUG 31
Nine Inch Nails
See Ohio native Trent Razor and his band in the city where they got their start. Rock out to some
of their greatest hits, including “Closer,” “Hurt” and “Head Like A Hole.” Rocket Arena, 1 Center Ct., Cleveland, rocketarena.com. Visit website for times and prices.
other events
AUG 3
In Search of Snakes
Take a naturalist-guided hike along the 1-mile Prather Trail to learn about different snake species that can be found in Summit County, as well as local conservation efforts. Cascade Valley Metro Park 1134 Cuyahoga St., Akron, 330/8675511. summitmetroparks.org. 10–11 a.m. Free.
AUG 10
Sip of Gervasi: A Tasting Event
Experience Italy at Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa with this Italian street food and wine tasting event featuring six regional stations, passport rewards and exclusive Marketplace discounts. Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa, 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, 330/497-1000. gervasivineyard. com. 1 p.m. $49.
AUG 23
Heart of the City Cruise-In
This event draws car enthusiasts and spectators with a stunning display of classic cars, hot rods and vintage vehicles. The new location features live music, a beer tent, food trucks and more. Richland County Fairgrounds, 750 N. Home Rd., Mansfield, 419/543-0028. destinationmansfield. com. Noon–6 p.m. Free.
Northwest festivals
AUG 1–3
Toledo Jeep Fest
Join thousands of enthusiasts to celebrate the legacy of the Jeep in its hometown during this high-energy weekend packed with activities. Enjoy Jeep parades, vendors selling Jeepthemed merchandise, and plenty of familyfriendly fun. Glass City Center, 401 Jefferson Ave., Toledo, toledojeepfest.com. Visit website for times. Free.
AUG 2–3
Flower Festival at The Pickwick Place
This festival offers a vibrant day of blooms, with a U-pick flower field, 70-plus vendors, fresh produce and family-friendly activities. Enjoy delicious food, shop for unique finds and more. The Pickwick Place, 1875 N. Sandusky Ave., Bucyrus, 419/562-0683. thepickwickplace.com. Sat.–Sun. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Visit website for prices.
AUG 8–10
Flag City Balloonfest
Go up, up and away at this summer get-together featuring food and craft vendors, a petting zoo and hot air balloon rides. Stick around for the hot air balloon illumination and fireworks after the sun sets. Emory Adams Park, 1827 S. Blanchard St., Findlay, flagcityballoonfest.com. Visit website for times and prices.
AUG 13–14
Bash on the Bay
Head to this Ohio island to see country music stars Luke Bryan, Ashley McBryde, Sam Hunt, Russell Dickerson and Bret Michaels. Put-inBay Airport, 1494 Langram Rd., Put-in-Bay, bashonthebay.com. 3:30 p.m. Visit website for times and prices.
AUG 29–SEPT 1
Milan Melon Festival
This Labor Day weekend event features watermelon sherbet and cantaloupe ice cream, a 5K and fun run, a kiddie tractor pull and a parade. Village Square, Milan, sites.google.com/view/ milanmelonfest. Visit website for times. Free.
MUSIC + THEATER
AUG 9
Josh Johnson: The Flowers Tour
Enjoy an evening of stand-up comedy from this comedian who is a former writer for “The Daily Show” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Stranahan Theater, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo, 419/381-8851. stranahantheater. com. 7 p.m. $47.40–$71.40.
AUG 16
Battle of the Bands
Some of northwest Ohio’s top bands hit the stage and compete for a chance to open at the Defiance Rib Fest. 1918 Building, 629 Arabella St., Defiance, 419/782-0739. visitdefianceohio. com. 5 p.m. $10.
OTHER EVENTS
AUG 12–16
Sauder Village Rug Hooking Week 2025
Head to the largest annual rug hooking event in North America, which is packed with rug
exhibits and vendors, as well as workshops and gallery talks. Sauder Village, 22611 St. Rte. 2, Archbold, 419/446-2541. saudervillage.org. Wed.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free.
Southeast festivals
AUG 7–10
Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival
Spend a weekend celebrating a local legend at this cryptid-focused gathering. Take part in the Squatch ‘N Seek, a Bigfoot beard competition, a Bigfoot howling contest and other activities. Vinton County Fairgrounds, 31471 St. Rte. 93, McArthur, hockinghillsbigfoot.com. Visit website for times. Daily vehicle parking pass $10.
AUG 7–10
Rivers, Trails and Ales Fest
Make your way to Marietta for this adventurous gathering. Highlights include the Mighty Muskingum River Raft Race, mountain and road biking, trail running and hiking. Stick around to grab some local craft brews. East Muskingum Park, 401 Front St., Marietta, rtafest.com. Visit website for times and prices.
AUG 8–10
Coshocton Sunflower Festival
Enjoy sunflower fun in Coshocton during this annual event that has been a favorite since 2017. The main festival weekend features 50 varieties of sunflowers, food trucks, a beer garden, craft
vendors and more. Coshocton KOA Holiday, 24688 County Rd. 10, Coshocton, 740/5029245. coshoctonsunflowerfestival.com. Visit website for times and prices.
AUG 8–10
Salt Fork Arts and Crafts Festival
Spend the weekend viewing works from awardwinning artists and crafters. Plus, take part in a glass-blowing workshop and watch an Appalachian heritage art demonstration. Cambridge City Park, 1101 McFarland Dr., Cambridge, 740/584-0652. saltforkfestival.org. Visit website for times. Free.
AUG 13–16
Nelsonville Parade of the Hills
Bring the family along for this four-day celebration that includes kids street games, several themed parades, home-cooked dishes, a fiddling contest, rides and more. Public Square, West Canal Street, Nelsonville, paradeofthehills. org. Visit website for times. Free.
AUG 29–31
Coshocton Flint Festival & Knap-In
Skilled artisans demonstrate traditional flintknapping and other primitive crafts. Shop unique jewelry, meet expert vendors and explore the rich history behind Native American artifacts. Coshocton County Fairgrounds, 707 Kenilworth Ave., Coshocton, 740/622-2385. visitcoshocton.com. Fri.–Sat. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–2 p.m. $5.
AUG 29–31 River Days
Experience this cherished tradition and enjoy an array of activities, including a lively parade, mouthwatering delights from food trucks and the excitement of live music. Downtown Portsmouth, 712 Fourth St., Portsmouth, 740/353-1116. friendsofportsmouth.com. Visit website for times. Free.
MUSIC + THEATER
AUG 10
The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra Known for its distinctive jazz sound and legendary hits like “In the Mood” and “Moonlight Serenade,” the orchestra continues to captivate audiences worldwide. This performance promises to deliver the magic and nostalgia of the group‘s iconic music. Peoples Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St., Marietta, 740/371-5152. peoplesbanktheatre.com. 3–5 p.m. $39–$93.
AUG 22
Thunderstruck: America’s AC/DC Tribute Prepare to be thunderstruck as one of the best AC/DC tribute bands in the country brings the
electrifying energy of the legendary rock group to the stage with high-voltage performances and classic hits that will have fans rocking all night long. Peoples Bank Theatre, 222 Putnam St., Marietta, 740/371-5152. peoplesbanktheatre. com. 8–10 p.m. $59–$93.
OTHER EVENTS
AUG 31
U.S.S. Shenandoah Commemoration Ceremony
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the crash of the U.S.S. Shenandoah. Commemorate the historic event by attending this special ceremony, exploring museum artifacts and visiting the original crash site. Noble County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 419 West St., Caldwell, 740/732-5288. visitnoblecountyohio.com. Visit website for times and prices.
Southwest festivals
AUG 2
Down a River, Down a Beer
Enjoy over 100 craft beers, food trucks, a silent auction and live entertainment along the Great Miami River. Downtown Piqua, 919 S. Main St., Piqua, 937/773-9355. downariverdownabeer. com. 5:30–9 p.m. Visit website for prices.
AUG 16
Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In, Car Show & Balloon Festival
food trucks, music, contests, kids activities and more.
Grimes Field Municipal Airport, 1636 N. Main St., Urbana, 937/652-4319. urbanaairport.com. 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Free admission until 4 p.m., $2 admission after 4 p.m.
AUG 16–17
Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
This annual event features a menu of sweet corn, barbecue chicken and fresh-cut watermelon, among other offerings. Bring the kids along for pony and train rides and even take part in a corn-eating contest. Community Park, 691 E. Dayton Yellow Springs Rd., Fairborn, 937/305-0800. fairbornsweetcornfestival.org. Sat. 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Free.
MUSIC + THEATER
AUG 28
Happy Together Tour 2025
Hear music from legendary acts such as The Turtles, Jay & The Americans, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett, The Vogues and The Cowsills. Fraze Pavilion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering, 937/296-3300. fraze.com. 8 p.m. $45–$63.
OTHER EVENTS
AUG 9
Water in Motion with Kinetic Kristen & Watercolor Play
Little learners will delight in dazzling bubble displays and hands-on fun as Kinetic Kristen brings the magic of water in motion to life through a variety of entertaining performances and fun, interactive bubble experiences throughout the day. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum, 1763 Hamilton Cleves Rd., Hamilton, 513/8688336. pyramidhill.org. 10 a.m.–noon Free.
AUG 15–17
Charm at the Farm Market
Shop boho-chic decor, unique gifts, vintage finds, handmade goods and more from more than 100 small business boutiques, all in one whimsical spot. Enjoy food, drinks and photo ops while you browse. Charm at the Farm, 4953 Bunnell Hill Rd., Lebanon, charmatthefarm.com. Visit website for times. $9–$20.
AUG 28
Plant Trials Symposium
This all-day celebration of plants and gardens has become one of the country’s most highly regarded single-day horticultural events. Attendees can listen to a variety of speakers at this annual gathering of knowledgeable horticulturists. Topics include “Time Tested Plants,” “Killer New Annuals,” and “The Wildland Garden.” Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Cincinnati, 513/281-4700. cincinnatizoo.org. 8:50 a.m.–5 p.m. $129.
Enjoy a full day of fun at Grimes Field with airplanes, classic cars, hot air balloons,
Get in Tune
BY OLIVIA YOUNG
| Imagine a summer night filled with laughter and music at one of Ohio’s scenic wineries. Take a sip of wine, relishing the flavor as it lights up your taste buds, realizing summer nights are supposed to be spent like this.
Head to Valley Vineyards in Morrow to sit outdoors to listen to live music, featuring local artists every Thursday through Sunday. Sip on a glass of their award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon during their weekly picnic-style cookouts or visit on Wednesdays for trivia games and stand-up comedy. Stop by and sing along to live music on select Saturday nights at Buckeye Winery in downtown Newark. Jam out to some of your favorite tunes from the 60s and 70s while you enjoy one of their awardwinning handcrafted pizzas or paninis. Sip an array of nearly 50 red, white, blush, and fruit wines, or cool off with a wine slushie.
Join CLE Urban Winery every month for their Live Music Songwriter Block events on the second Tuesday of the month. There’s live music throughout the month, too. You can even spice up your evenings with beginner tango lessons. After all, CLE Urban Winery’s motto is “good wine made fun,” so dance and cool down with a wine slushie or a flight of wine paired with cookies.
Maize Valley Winery in Hartville hosts live music every Saturday. Be sure to visit during the summer, when the concerts move outside and you can enjoy a glass of their Sinfully Red, a smooth Red Zinfandel or cool down with a crowd-favorite wine slushie.
Maize Valley Winery
Valley Vineyards
Photos provided by Maize Valley Winery and Warren County CVB
FARM & TABLE
Coastal Connection
Summer Place, located along the Lake Erie shore, features coastal- and Mediterraneaninspired fare and has a charitable mission in honor of the owners’ late son.
Walking into Summer Place feels like visiting a restaurant on the California coast, with its light and airy atmosphere, teakwood accents and steps cascading through the dining area. As patrons take in the 280-degree view of Lake Erie and the Cleveland skyline in the distance, this spot along the shore clearly summons the feel of a seaside escape.
Beginning in 2019 as a Columbus-area
now has two storefronts offering a variety of nostalgic flavors.
Baked Goods:
pop-up shop, Lion Cub’s Cookies
The Lot Beer Co.: This downtown Granville spot feels plucked from the 1980s and ’90s, serving up burgers, hot dogs and a lineup of house-made beer with a side of good times.
FARM & TABLE
Opened in 2020 by Tony and Kristine George, the Lakewood restaurant also serves as a tribute to the couple’s late son, Michael, who was born with Down syndrome and diagnosed with leukemia at age 15.
“We were building this restaurant off and on while he was in and out of the hospital,” Tony says. “My wife and I decided to name it Summer Place because his favorite place was Kelleys Island, Ohio.”
Throughout the restaurant, paintings and acrylic-mounted photographs depicting Michael with his family and friends at Kelleys Island line the dining space and the hallway that leads to the adjoining Carlyle on the Lake condominiums.
The restaurant’s menu plays on coastal and Mediterranean influences, using fresh and organic ingredients and keeping all dishes free of nut-based oils. Appetizers on the dinner menu include whipped feta, crispy Brussels sprouts and hummus, while entrees range from Great Lakes walleye to short rib to Michael’s Favorite (fire-roasted kebobs with chicken, beef, herbs, seasonal vegetables, beet tzatziki and pita). Salads, flatbreads, pastas, sides and a raw bar round out the dinner-menu options.
The brunch menu features favorites like
baked goods
When Bradley Kaplan made pumpkin cookies for Thanksgiving in 2018, he had no idea it would change the trajectory of his career. Today, his Lion Cub’s Cookies, which began as a Columbus-area pop-up shop in 2019, has now become a local
chicken and waffles and a classic Benedict, as well as shareables like its Famous Clothesline Bacon and deviled eggs. A solid lineup of cocktail, bourbon and wine selections, and separate bar menu round out the experience.
Summer Place offers more than just good food and stunning lakeside views though. The restaurant’s profits are shared with Awakening Angels, a nonprofit organization that supports adults and children with Down syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities. The Georges also helped fund the construction of the Michael
favorite with locations in Grandview Heights and Worthington. Customers will find 10 varieties of warm, fresh cookies any time they visit and maybe even these recurring favorites. — Gracie Metz
Chocolate Chip
T. George Student Success Center at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, which provides inclusive education programs for students with developmental disabilities. “I don’t think there’s any restaurant in the country that does what we do and gives what we give,” Tony says. “And we do it to honor our son, Michael, who was the joy and glue that held our whole family together.”
— Erin Finan
12900 Lake Ave., Unit 2, Lakewood 44107, 216/270-2300, summerplacecle.com
Nothing packs a wallop of nostalgia quite like warm chocolate chip cookies, and Kaplan’s take on the classic is available at both stores each day. Even though you may be drawn in by the rotating options on the menu, don’t miss this take on the classic.
Frosted Animal Cracker
Those pink-and-white, sprinkle-covered cookies will instantly recall lunchbox treasures of days gone by. Kaplan’s creation mixes finely ground animal
crackers into the flour for the cookie base, delivering the authentic flavor of the snack-time favorite. It even looks the part, with pink icing and rainbow sprinkles
Puppy Chow
This mashup of peanut butter and chocolate channels the flavors of the crunchy, impossible-to-stop-eating homemade treat. It starts with a peanut butter cookie dough base with chocolate chips mixed in. Topped with vanilla icing, powdered sugar and crushed puppy chow, it’s Lion Cub’s Cookies’ most popular flavor.
For more information, visit lioncubscookies.com.
Hummus topped with za’atar, sumac and crispy chickpeas, served with pita
The Lot Beer Co., Granville
This fun spot in downtown Granville feels plucked straight from the 1980s and ’90s, serving up burgers, hot dogs and a lineup of house-brewed beer.
The Lot Beer Co. is not the first foray into the Granville small business scene for Trent Beers. He started Seek-NoFurther Cidery two streets over in 2021 and followed up with his second act, which aims to capture the communal, pre-concert parking lot party vibe he has enjoyed as a Grateful Dead fan.
Walking into The Lot Beer Co. is a step back in time to when the Nintendo Entertainment System was king of the video game scene (there’s even one available to play at the end of the bar). Local memorabilia lines the walls, including a photo of the 1985 Denison University football team and a vanity GRNVL license plate from 2000.
“It’s just really a lot of unique stuff I’ve gathered,” says Beers, whose background in graphic design led to his love of vintage signs. “Antique stores, thrift stores, Springfield Antique Show, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, you name it.”
Much like a parking lot pre-party, there’s cold beer here too. There are six to eight house beers on tap at a time, like the Never say Die IPA or the Workingman’s Lager. Two weekly pitcher nights add to the nostalgic vibe, and the hard seltzer allows you
to “Choose Yo Flava” from syrups like peach and strawberry or even build your own flavor combination.
The food menu is simple, spanning easy tailgate foods like hot dogs and burgers. Go for one of the suggested options or build your own with an array of quirky toppings from Funyuns to Hot Takis to macaroni and cheese. Wraps, salads and wings are on the menu too.
The fun continues with Skee-ball, dartboards and vintage arcade games like Frogger found just off the main dining room, while trivia, arm wrestling tournaments and other events are scheduled on select evenings. It’s easy to see why this place has become such a local favorite since it opened in 2022.
“It’s always fun becoming a staple in the community where people can’t imagine the town without you,” Beers says. “That’s the most rewarding part.” — Gracie Metz
140 N. Prospect St., Granville 43023, 740/920-4444, thelotbeerco.com
Savor Summer where Hospitality feels like !
DAY ONE- Experience
Historic Schoenbrunn Village
World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock
Ernest Warther Museum & Gardens
11 Wineries, 4 Breweries
Trumpet in the Land Outdoor Drama
DAY TWO- Shop
Leaf and Linen
Alley Cats Marketplace
Warther’s Cutlery
OV Harvest
Camp the Backyard
DAY
THREE-
Explore
Historic Zoar Village
Dennison Railroad Depot Museum
Downtown Dennison WWII Mural Walk
J E Reeves Victorian Home
Hike the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath
Complete your plans with comfortable lodging, and a wide variety of locally owned dining options! We can’t wait to see you at the other side of Amish Country!
Summer means it’s time to fuel up and hit the road, and when you’re out there, you’re going to get hungry. Check out these old-school diners, drive-ins and root beer stands that serve a heaping helping of vintage vibes.
By Jason Brill, Nicholas Dekker, Erin Finan, Michelle Hopkins,
Gracie Metz, Jenna Nahhas, Kelly Powell, Kristina Smith and Jim Vickers
TIN GOOSE DINER, port clinton
Built in 1951, the stainless-steel diner that sits adjacent to the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton had a previous life serving diners in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. Then, the museum purchased it, moved it to Ohio, had it meticulously restored and opened it to customers in 2012. Today, the Tin Goose Diner — named after the planes that once ferried passengers to and from the Lake Erie islands — stands as an immaculate tribute to the past and serves old-time and modern favorites for breakfast and lunch. A popular breakfast item, the G.I. Special S.O.S. Platter, features creamed chipped beef over toast with eggs and house potatoes, served on a genuine G.I. mess tray. 3515 E. State Rd., Port Clinton 43452, 419/732-0236, tingoosediner.com
The RootBeer Stande, Dayton
When Emily Collins bought The RootBeer Stande in 2008, the Dayton carhop had been serving hot dogs and floats since the early 1960s. Today, Collins has expanded her menu while remaining faithful to the classics, serving footlong hot dogs alongside picklefry-topped Angus burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches and the Dirty D, a bacon-wrapped, deep-fried beef hot dog covered in chili, mustard, onions and cheese. Dedicated to offering a family-friendly environment with affordable food, Collins runs themed days, with July anniversary specials, and charity events to support causes in the Midwest. Of course, no drive-in meal is complete without dessert and a drink, and the root beer floats here offer both simultaneously. A collaboration with the Springfield-founded root beer brand Frostop — one that Collins established soon after buying the drive-in — the floats are served in steins with soft serve ice cream for the perfect fizzy finish. 1727 Woodman Dr., Dayton 45420, 937/640-1114, rootbeerstande.com
Blue Bell Diner, McConnelsville
Tucked among the historic buildings of downtown McConnelsville, Blue Bell Diner is as much a community gathering place as it is a spot to grab breakfast or lunch. Housed in the 1884 J.C. Bolen building, Blue Bell Diner’s opening date remains a mystery (as does the source of its name), but local lore indicates that it opened around the middle of the 20th century. It had been closed for about five years when the local Harper family bought the place and, in 2021, revived it with mid-century charm and hints of blue throughout the space, from the diner stools to the quirky tile floors. The diner is open for breakfast and lunch. Favorites include the biscuits and gravy, pancakes and burgers. 2 W. Main St., McConnelsville 43756, 740/962-3939, facebook.com/bluebelldiner
Chloe’s Diner, Massillon
Housed in a former downtown service station packed with vintage vehicles and old-school memorabilia, this fun downtown spot serves up a menu of comfort food favorites.
Sitting just a block from where the transcontinental Lincoln Highway runs through downtown Massillon, it’s fitting that Chloe’s Diner occupies a former service station, complete with gas pumps out front and garage bays that now house a dining room.
The diner serves as a backdrop for owner Jeff Doll’s collection of vintage automobiles and other throwback treasures, including a life-size Mayor McCheese statue and vintage neon signs promoting brands like Champion Spark Plugs and Oldsmobile.
Doll’s daughter, Chloe, came up with the concept when she was just 15, suggesting that her father, who had been in the car business for 40 years, create a place to share his collection of classic cars and retro memorabilia with the public.
“Jeff is kind of a low-key guy and had the vehicles in storage at some of his car dealerships, but when they bought that building … Chloe had this idea: ‘Wouldn’t it be neat if we could get all dad’s stuff out and display it and have a retro diner feel?’” says Mike Schario, manager at Chloe’s Diner. “It’s totally her concept.”
Open since 2021, the spot serves a menu of comfort food classics and breakfast all day. Hearty combos like country-fried steak with eggs, toast and hash browns, and chicken and waffles are among the dozen breakfast combos, while the lunch side of the menu spans hot dogs (including chili, coney and corn dog options), appetizers, salads and a range of classics such as a Philly cheesesteak, steakhouse burger, fried bologna and a trio of sliders topped with caramelized onions and pickles.
A local butcher supplies the diner with meats like hamburger, ham, sausage and bacon, while eggs, pies and bread are sourced from Amish Country. “Our menu is always evolving as we get customer feedback,” Schario says. “That’s what’s good about being a small mom-and-pop.” 112 First St. NE, Massillon 44646, 330/880-0104, chloesdiner.com
Sugar n’ Spice, Cincinnati
This institution has been in the city since 1941 but was remade for the modern age, with a fun Over-the-Rhine neighborhood location housed inside a gleaming chrome diner car.
Walk along Sycamore Street in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, and a squat, bullet of a diner car pops into view. Its gleaming chrome accented with bubble gum pink and cotton candy blue stands as a nod to diner culture, and its neon sign reflects a bygone era. Inside, the enchantment continues with checkerboard tile and vinyl booths in electric hues.
Sugar n’ Spice has been serving classic American comfort food in Cincinnati since 1941. This outpost in the city’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood is the second of three locations owned by father-and-son duo Neal and Adam Mayerson, who purchased the original Cincinnati diner in 2019 and expanded into Over-the-Rhine a year later by renovating an abandoned diner car.
The menu has evolved to meet modern tastes, but a handful of items remain unchanged, the most notable of which are the Famous Wispy Thin Pancakes. True to their name, the flapjacks are physics-defyingly thin and simultaneously chewy, fluffy and lightly crisped.
“People are still stumped by that,” says Mike Strum, director of operations at Sugar n’ Spice.
The Meatlovers Platter is another classic: two eggs your way, served alongside a smorgasbord of breakfast meats — including Glier’s Goetta, of course — plus potatoes and toast. For a twist on two breakfast staples, look to the Challah French Toast or the Breakfast Sandwich, a 4-ounce sausage patty, folded egg and American cheese served on an English muffin.
The lunch menu is equally robust and is, like breakfast, served all day. The burgers are messy, juicy perfection, while the Nashville Hot Chicken is best eaten with elbows on the table. When the check arrives, so will a miniature rubber duck, yet another Sugar n’ Spice tradition.
“It’s nostalgic,” Strum says of the diner.
“You get those comfort tastes we all remember. And it’s a mixing pot. Anyone and everyone is welcome.” 1203 Sycamore St., Cincinnati 45202, 513/762-0390, eatsugarnspice.com
Ashland-Wooster Drive-In, Ashland
The thought of a drive-in brings burgers to mind, but the Ashland-Wooster Drive-In on U.S. Highway 250 has a slightly different approach. Milkshakes and fresh-cut fries are on the menu, but so are shredded chicken, veal sandwiches and the Pickledog (a fried pickle spear in a hot dog bun with tomato, American cheese, fire sauce and slaw dressing). The spot opened in 1957, operating as an A&W drive-in franchise known for its root beer, but went independent in 1985. The root beer still reigns here, with fresh batches made daily using real cane sugar. Get in on the goodness by pulling up under the awning and turning your lights on for service. 1134 E. Main St., Ashland 44805, 419/281-2658, ashland-wooster.com
Buckeye Express Diner, Bellville
If juicy half-pound burgers, fresh-cut fries and deep-fried sides weren’t enough to draw diners to this hillside spot off Interstate 71 in Bellville, the Ohio State Buckeyes-themed train dining car just might. Relocated to Bellville from Roanoke, Virginia, in 2008, the bright red train car has become a just-off-the-highway oddity of sorts, complete with a menu of classics, like a half-pound hot dog and Lake Erie perch, and a larger-thanlife, bobblehead chef standing outside. Outdoor seating is great for warmer weather, but sitting indoors is a must to get the full effect. Inside, the train car is decorated on every surface with Ohio State decor and signed memorabilia, such as jerseys and photographs, as well as railroad mementos. 810 St. Rte. 97 W., Bellville 44813, 419/886-2900, buckeyeexpressdiner.com
The sweet sounds of Elvis, The Crests and more music from 1950s and ’60s float through the open-air dining room at Eddie’s Grill, a Geneva-on-the-Lake institution that offers summer visitors a frozen-in-time experience. Eddie Sezon founded the place in 1950, building a small, 14-square-foot root beer stand on a corner lot along the city’s main drag. Today, that original spirit remains. The menu is simple yet utterly satisfying, with cheeseburgers, footlong hot dogs, Slovenian sausage, crispy fries and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Tabletop jukeboxes add to the retro ambiance, while a condiment and relish bar (from the typical mustard and ketchup to horseradish and hot peppers) lets diners personalize their orders. True to the spirit of its age, Eddie’s Grill only takes cash. 5377 Lake Rd. E., Geneva 44041, 440/466-8720, eddiesgrill.com
Curbside
Swensons Drive-In made eating in your car an Akron tradition. Today, it has locations across Ohio, as well as fun, limited-time collaborations and a core experience that has remained unchanged for generations.
Wesley T. “Pop” Swenson’s drive-in empire started at Akron’s Buchtel High School in 1933 when he began serving burgers from the back of his station wagon. A year later, he opened his South Hawkins Avenue location, a small building with plenty of parking around it for customers to cruise in, order food and enjoy it from the comfort of their vehicles.
Over 90 years later, motorists are still rolling onto the lot, particularly on this sunny Sunday in June to be among the first to get a taste of the
drive-in’s collaboration with James Beard Award finalist and Akron native Vinnie Cimino.
The executive chef and operating partner at Cordelia on Cleveland’s East Fourth Street is here for the kickoff event, dressed in the same attire as Swensons’ curb servers and helping them take orders for the new limited-time menu items. They include the Cordelia Pimento Burger, which features the chef’s pimento cheese recipe and is topped with Kool-Aid Pickles.
The creation is a riff on Swensons’ famous Galley Boy and is indicative of how the burger chain (which has 20 stand-alone locations across Ohio) is merging fun and
Classics
modern collaborations with the classic drive-in experience that has made the place a pillar of Akron food culture. A handful of other local drive-ins popped up and still operate today, but Swensons stands as the most well-known, with locations across Summit County, each having become part of the fabric of life in the region.
“I do think Goodyear and Firestone had a lot to do with that. It created such a car culture,” says Swensons Drive-In Restaurants CEO Dan Mesches. “Were there drive-ins around the country? Sure. But people weren’t so vehemently supportive as they are here.”
Swensons has evolved with the times, meaning innovations like ordering via app have become an option for those who desire it. But the heart of the Swensons Drive-In experience is the same as it has been for generations. It’s all about parking the car, turning on your lights for service and enjoying classic menu items like the Galley Boy (two patties with cheese, two special sauces and garnished with an olive), milkshakes and Potato Teezers — all served on a tray perched on the edge of a rolled-down car window.
“What I love about this business is we’re like the theater,” Mesches says. “... Every day you start from scratch, and that’s a big responsibility but also a wonderful opportunity.” 40 S. Hawkins Ave., Akron 44313, 330/864-8416, swensonsdriveins.com
Drive Time
These four Summit County drive-ins arrived after Swensons and still serve loyal customers to this day.
• Skyway Drive-In Restaurant: The original opened in Fairlawn in 1952 and still operates there. A Green location opened in 1997. skywayrestaurants.net, skywaydrive-in.com
• Dilly’s Drive-In: Home of the Double Dilly Burger, this drive-in has been around since 1985 and has locations in both Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. doubledilly.com
• B&K Root Beer: Open since 1953, this Cuyahoga Falls spot is known for its burgers, coney dogs and root beer. It also serves an Akron specialty: the sauerkraut ball. bkrootbeer.com
• Wink’s Drive-In: Open since 1991, this 1950s-style drive-in in Barberton is known for its variety of burgers. It got new owners in 2021 and a makeover two years later. winksdrive-in.com
The Root Beer Stand, Sharonville
Open since 1957, this stand located just outside Cincinnati serves up coneys, burgers, fries and root beer in a roadside spot built on community and tradition.
When The Root Beer Stand opened, Cincinnati was located just far enough away that municipal water wasn’t an option. So, the Sharonville stand’s owner dug a well, and over 50 years later, the water used to make the root beer here each day still comes from it.
“It’s got a unique mineral makeup that adds to the flavor of the root beer, which means you can’t really get it anywhere else,” says owner Eric Burroughs, who owns the business with his wife, Abby. “It’s not bottled. It’s not under pressure. It has a completely different flavor.”
That attention to quality runs deep at this roadside stand that has been serving Cincinnati-area diners since 1957. The chili, a recipe from the first owner, is still on the menu, and the cheese is grated fresh daily from 40-pound blocks.
“We change when we need to change, but we never change the spirit and the soul of what makes us who we are,” Eric says. “We don’t take shortcuts when it comes to the things that were done the old-school way.”
Abby’s parents, Scott and Jackie Donley, bought the stand from its original owners in 1990, and in 2013, Eric began working with his father-in-law to learn the business and fully took over the operation six years later. Diners
pull in and order at a walk-up window, with the option to grab a seat in the covered dining area. The menu spans old-school favorites like burgers and footlong coneys, as well as the Timmy Dog, an everything-but-the-kitchensink coney topped with chili, cheese, mustard, ketchup, onion, relish, kraut, slaw and hot sauce and named in honor of the customer who first requested it.
“We have many menu items that are named after customers or created by customers,” Eric says. “There’s a story behind each one.” 11566 Reading Rd. 45241, Sharonville, 513/769-4349, therootbeerstand.com
Michael’s Goody Boy Diner, Columbus W
hile Columbus’ Short North Arts District has evolved over the decades, one thing has remained relatively unchanged: the blue and yellow neon sign of Michael’s Goody Boy Diner. Open since 1947 and named for original owner Michael Pappas, the spot has long been a destination for easy-to-love eats. Owner Jacob Gaus, who took the reins in late 2023, covered the interior walls in colorful murals, while bright pink and turquoise chairs surround the tables and a long bar fills one end of the space. Michael’s Goody Boy Diner currently opens for lunch and serves it late, but breakfast is available all day. Diners will love the chunky and peppery biscuits and gravy and the double-patty Goody Boy burger. 1144 N. High St., Columbus 43201, 380/219-2905, goodyboydiner.com
White Turkey Drive-In, Conneaut
Keep with the classics at this roadside spot with shredded turkey sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, sundaes and ice-cold soda made using syrup from Rochester, New York’s Richardson Root Beer. Open since 1952, the simple stand near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border still uses its original root beer barrels and countertops and has jukeboxes loaded with vintage tunes. Menu highlights include the Large Marge, a turkey sandwich with cheese and bacon, and the Super Ed, a double cheeseburger with bacon and an onion ring. Sticking with the retro feel, the counter-service joint only accepts cash, but there is an ATM on-site. 388 E. Main Rd., Conneaut 44030, 440/593-2209, whiteturkey.com
Jolly’s Drive-In, Hamilton
Jolly’s Drive-In’s annual reopening is so celebrated in Hamilton that it’s often covered in the local newspaper, the Journal-News
People flock to the drive-in, which started in 1937 as Vince Sr. and Betty Jolivette’s A&W root beer stand, for cheeseburgers served with mustard, chili sauce, onions and dill pickles; footlong hot dogs, which you can get drenched in cheese or chili or both; funnel cake fries, root beer floats and a hearty helping of nostalgia. Although there are two locations, the Brookwood Avenue spot’s angular car-park awning provides a wonderfully retro feel. The spot is such a vibe that it served as a backdrop for “The Bikeriders,” a movie starring Tom Hardy and Austin Butler that filmed here in 2022. 165 N. Brookwood Ave., Hamilton 45013, 513/8634191, jollyshamilton.com
Rhonda’s Emerald Diner, Hubbard
A1950s-style jukebox, neon clock and license plate collage in the shape of the United States greet you as soon as you walk in the door at Rhonda’s Emerald Diner. Set in a 1939-built train dinning car that was transformed into a restaurant in the 1990s, it became Rhonda’s in 2019 after being restored following a 2012 fire. The vibes are charming, thanks to a wood-paneled ceiling, nine-stool counter and weekly car cruise-ins, and the menu of diner classics keep regulars coming back.
Owner Rhonda Boos says the roast beef, served as either an open-faced sandwich or pot roast dinner, is a favorite, as is the Hand Jive Chicken, topped with Italian greens, roasted red peppers and provolone cheese. Breakfast is available all day, and the cakes are baked in house. 825 N. Main St., Hubbard 44425, 330/534-7600, facebook.com/rhondasemeralddiner
Mary’s Diner, Geneva
Checkered floors, neon signs and the shiny red bumper of a ’57 Chevy at the register welcome visitors to Mary’s Diner in Geneva. Although it opened in 2004, the restaurant evokes the feel of a 1950s diner. But Mary’s story stretches back even further, when nearly a century ago, Mary’s Kitchen became a seasonal fixture in the town. In 2014, Neil and Nicole LaRusch purchased both restaurants and have been carrying on the tradition of taking the classic comfort food recipes from Mary’s Kitchen and combining them with classic diner fare. Today, the couple operates two additional Mary’s Diner locations in Madison and Concord, each carrying the same retro feel. Menu favorites include stuffed peppers, meatloaf, pulled pork and pot roast. Breakfast is served all day, but specific offerings (and some special decorative touches) may vary between locations. Geneva: 666 E. Main St., Geneva 44041, 440/466-6393, marysdiner.com
Speedtrap Diner, Woodville
This small-town spot in Sandusky County uses the 1950s as the backdrop for its lineup of big breakfasts and creatively constructed burgers and sandwiches.
When Sam Augugliaro bought her Woodville diner in 2004, she wanted to make it a fun and memorable place for friends and family to meet up for a great meal. So, she completely redecorated the place inside out and with everything she loves from the 1950s: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Audrey Hepburn, motorcycles, records and vintage concert posters.
In a nod to the Woodville’s reputation for attentive law enforcement, she called the place Speedtrap Diner and had a vintage police car installed on the roof. Over the years, it’s become a beloved landmark and one that is constantly evolving.
“It’s just what I do,” Augugliaro says. “I’ve added everything I’ve become interested in. That’s why it’s different all the time. I keep adding stuff.”
Speedtrap Diner is known for its breakfasts (including a variety of omelets, pancakes and fried cinnamon rolls), as well as its lineup of savory burgers and Underground Sandwiches that are piled-high with a creative mix of ingredients.
“The burgers are what everyone comes for on the weekends at night,” Augugliaro says. “Some of the food is really wild and out there.”
The lineup of Underground Sandwiches includes The Chupacabra, which is served on a pretzel bun stuffed with barbecued pork, mac and cheese, chipotle sauce and fried pickles. The DB Cooper comes with fried bologna, mac and cheese and mayonnaise between two slices of deep-fried French toast with extra cheddar on top.
Then there’s Speedtrap Diner’s ice cream shop with both soft-serve flavors and sundaes. The sundaes are creative and unusual, like an Elvis sundae that comes with a pickle and the James Bean that is served with chocolate and coffee grounds.
“They thought I was crazy for putting that on the menu,” Augugliaro says, “but I’m like ‘No, it’s good.’” 310 E. Main St., Woodville 43469, 419/849-3665, speedtrapdiner.com
CANAL DAYS
A groundbreaking idea began to take shape in Ohio 200 years ago this summer, as the simultaneous creation of two major canals ultimately opened the state to trade and transformed the place we call home.
By Damaine Vonada
Rupp’s Store on the Miami & Erie Canal in Waterville, Ohio. It was one of the busiest places of commerce in Waterville during the canal era.
In 1824, Stephen Frazee was a subsistence farmer who had one cow and likely lived in a log cabin along the Cleveland stagecoach route. By December 1827, he owned eight cows, was shipping milk and dairy products on the Ohio & Erie Canal and had moved his family into a new, two-story brick house facing the waterway.
“Anywhere the canal went, prosperity flowed,” says Rebecca Jones Macko, an interpretive park ranger at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where the Frazee House still stands today along a stretch of the aptly named Canal Road. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a silent but steadfast testament to the canals’ impact in transforming Ohio from an undeveloped, economically isolated frontier state to a wealthy, influential and important part of the nation’s agricultural and industrial lifeblood.
Ohio’s canal era began on July 4, 1825, as Ohio Gov. Jeremiah Morrow and New York Gov. DeWitt Clinton, who had spearheaded his state’s thriving Erie Canal, met near Newark. As cheering crowds watched, they dug shovelfuls of earth to mark the start of work on the Ohio & Erie Canal, which would connect Portsmouth on the Ohio River to Cleveland on Lake Erie. The men met again in Middletown on July 21, 1825, and to similar fanfare, broke ground for the Miami & Erie Canal, another Ohio River-to-Lake Erie route that eventually extended from Cincinnati to Toledo.
The completed sections of Clinton’s “Big Ditch” between the Hudson River and Lake Erie had boosted New York’s economy by slashing transportation costs, and Ohioans had high hopes that canals would do the same for their state. Though rich in land, Ohio was cash poor. In 1820, barely 600,000 people lived in Ohio, and most were threadbare farmers struggling to get products from their backwoods farms to lucrative markets. Sending wagons across the Appalachians to eastern cities was expensive, time consuming and risky, and so was put ting surplus crops on flatboats floating south to New Orleans.
Since the state’s financial survival depended on inexpensive and efficient transportation, Ohio legislators followed New York’s exam ple of a canal system owned and operated by the state. Whereas New York had constructed one canal, Ohio leaders decided to simultaneously build two canals at an estimated cost of $6 million. Their plan was to fund construction by selling bonds, then repaying the debt with revenue from tolls and selling water for power.
The canals were an ambitious undertaking for a raw and relatively young state. It had only been 30 years since the Treaty of Greenville halted the Northwest Indian Wars and opened Ohio to white settlement; only 22 years since Ohio achieved statehood; and only 10 years since the end of the War of 1812 ensured permanent peace in the Buckeye State. Ohioans, however, were in a hurry to dive into the mainstream of American commerce.
“People didn’t ask, ‘Can we get a canal done?’ Instead, they asked, ‘How fast can we get it done?’” says Andy Hite, a Canal Society of Ohio vice-president and self-described “gongoozler” (person inter-
A view of the Ohio & Erie Canal from Akron in 1898 (top); a man pulls a tow rope to move his canal boat through the Miami & Erie Canal in Grand Rapids in 1898 (above); two boats on the Miami & Erie Canal tied behind the Dayton fairgrounds at mile marker 181 of the canal in 1904 (opposite page)
ested in canals and canal life). By November 1825, thousands of men were at work carving two waterways into Ohio’s landscape.
The canals employed local farmers, skilled engineers and tradesmen from New York, but Irish and German immigrants did most of the manual labor on the canals with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows. Their task was backbreaking, and the initial pay for toiling from sunrise to sunset was 30 cents a day. Often working in mud and waist-high water, the workers lived in shanties and received daily rations of whiskey to ward off the dreaded chills and fevers of ague.
“There was a saying that for every mile of canal they dug, an Irishman died,” Hite says.
The minimum canal dimensions were 40 feet wide at the top, 26 feet wide at the bottom and 4 feet deep. A 10-foot-wide strip of land parallel to the canals — the towpath — had to be cleared for the mules and horses that pulled canalboats, and locks were built to compensate for changes in elevation. Because canalboats were usually 79 to 89 feet long and 13 to 14 feet wide, lock chambers measured at least
90 feet long and 15 feet wide, and their stone-lined walls had wooden gates at both ends. After a boat entered a lock, it could be raised uphill by closing the gates and filling the lock with water or, conversely, lowered downhill by opening the gates and letting water run out.
Just two years after work on the Ohio & Erie Canal began, its first section opened on July 4, 1827, when the bunting-draped State of Ohio canalboat departed Akron on a 38-mile trip to Cleveland. Akron existed solely because of the canal. Gen. Simon Perkins, a surveyor and War of 1812 veteran, not only co-founded Akron in 1825 but also donated land in the middle of it for the canal right-ofway. Akron, which comes from the Greek word àkros, meaning “summit” or “high place,” sits on a summit that is 395 feet higher than Lake Erie, and thus, to reach Cleveland for a gala Fourth of July celebration, the State of Ohio had to descend through 44 newly built locks.
By 1845, Ohio boasted a sprawling and complex system of canals. It consisted of slightly more than 1,000 miles of main and branch canals, 294 lift locks, 29 river dams, 44 aqueducts and 33,000 acres of reservoir surface area, which included the then-largest manmade lake in the world — Grand Lake — on the Miami & Erie Canal.
“The total cost of the canals was about $16 million,” Hite says. “In today’s money, that’s more than $700 billion.”
Ohio’s canals were one of the preeminent civil engineering feats of the early 1800s. Carrying both cargo and passengers, they did exactly what they were intended to do: trigger rapid economic growth by opening markets and attracting new people. The cost of shipping goods to the East Coast plummeted from $125 per ton by horse and wagon to $25 per ton by canal. Crossing the state from river to lake dropped
This historic map outlines the two major canal routes in Ohio and their smaller branches that were in operation between 1825 and 1913.
from a few weeks to a few days. By 1850, Ohio had nearly 2 million residents and was the third-most-populous state.
“The canals changed everything,” Jones Macko says. “They changed what people wore, what they ate, what they did for a living, how they perceived other cultures and the way they engaged with the world at large.”
Foods that were formerly considered luxuries, like coffee, sugar and spices, were made available by canalboats. They also hastened the demise of openhearth cooking by delivering wood-burning stoves, as well as pots and pans. News traveled faster than ever before on the boats, and businessmen like Moses Gleeson, whose tavern now houses Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Canal Exploration Center, subscribed to out-ofstate newspapers so that customers could read them. Retailers transitioned from general stores to specialty shops because people were able to get cotton readily, so they didn’t have to create textiles (like linen) from scratch.
Canals fostered lumbering and mining, and cities like Akron mushroomed into manufacturing hubs as water discharged from locks helped power the city’s mills, foundries and machine shops.
The canals also had unexpected and wide-ranging consequences. The German Separatists in Zoar paid off the mortgage on their land with wages they earned digging the Ohio & Erie Canal. A fatherless teenager named James Garfield got a job as a “hoggee,” who guided mules on towpaths. After he fell into the canal and contracted malaria, his mother persuaded him to return to school. Three decades later, Garfield was President of the United States. When a 3-mile-long branch canal from Milan to the Huron River made the inland town a world-class wheat shipping port, Samuel Edison moved to the village, started a shingle-making business and built a brick house near the canal where his son Thomas was born in 1847. That house is now the Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum and tells the story of Edison inventions, like the incandescent lightbulb, phonograph and motion picture camera, that shaped the modern world.
Because the Miami & Erie Canal promised to make Toledo a trade center, the state of Ohio and territory of Michigan engaged in a dispute over land called the Toledo Strip. Both deployed militias and shots were fired, but the largely bloodless “Toledo War” ended with a compromise in 1836. Ohio got the Toledo Strip, while Michigan received statehood and its Upper Peninsula. On the Miami & Erie’s opposite end, Cincinnati’s German immigrants called the canal “the Rhine” and where they lived “Over the Rhine.” The nickname endured, and Over-the-Rhine is now a trendy Cincinnati neighborhood.
The canals’ heyday only lasted about 20 years because in the 1850s, they began losing money due to maintenance and repair costs. Railroads, which were faster and more reliable, were also expanding. By 1860, Ohio led the nation in railroad track mileage, and after the state’s disastrous 1861 decision to privatize the canals, the deteriorating waterways gradually shut down. But the sound of rain drops rather than train whistles was their death knell. In March 1913, downpours caused widespread flooding that destroyed canal ditches and locks.
Though their days as vital transportation corridors are long gone, canals laid the foundation for modern Ohio. Many communities, Story continues on page 95
An aerial view of the Milan Canal, which was started in 1833 (top); water pouring through the gates of a lock on the Ohio & Erie Canal near Zoar in the late 1800s or early 1900s (above)
AKRON/CANTON
There is much to celebrate in these two communities this year, from the city of Akron’s bicentennial to the summer festivities at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. By Christine
Schaffran
AKRON HISTORY CENTER
AKRON/CANTON
AKRON
Milestones & Memories
This year marks the Akron Bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of Gen. Simon Perkins filing the plat for the city at a courthouse in Ravenna on Dec. 6, 1825. A Downtown Festival (July 3 through 6) and Bicentennial Parade (July 5) are planned to mark the milestone occasion, but for a deeper look at the people, places and products that embody the spirit of the city, visit the Akron History Center downtown.
Opened in April and located just two doors down from the Akron Civic Theater, the 3,000-square-foot, three-story space contains a trove of more than 150 artifacts that pay homage to the pivotal role the city has played throughout history. From the office door of Alcoholics Anonymous founder Dr. Robert Smith to the 20 Steps of Social Justice that visitors can climb to learn about ra-
cial and gender equality, as well as the rights of the disabled, the center’s president, David Lieberth, promises everyone will learn something new about Akron’s storied past.
“We have a remarkable history for a city our size,” he says. “There are a lot of firsts and a lot of significant history that no community really can brag about except us.”
More than 62 exhibits, as well as presentations on screens throughout the space, memorialize the founding of Quaker Oats, the rise of the Firestone family, Akron’s rich music history, the birth of the rubber industry and so much more. (There’s even a tribute to Akron-based GOJO, the maker of Purell, which is used more than a bil-
Your mobile resource for all that is great about hotel & lodging in Akron.
Find, explore and book your adventure, learn about local partner experiences and take part in events. Find out more information about lodging options in Akron and Summit County online at StayInAkron.com.
Yellow jumpsuit from the band Devo on display at the Akron History Center
Akron Zoo
DinoTrek at the Akron Zoo runs May 10 – Sept. 14 and features 20 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs throughout the zoo. It’s included with general admission and free for Akron Zoo members.
akronzoo.org
Akron Art Museum
Experience modern and contemporary art in the heart of Akron. Enjoy exhibitions, hands-on activities, performances, and tours for all ages. Visit the Akron Art Museum and be inspired!
akronartmuseum.org
Akron RubberDucks
The Akron RubberDucks, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, play their home games at Canal Park. Every April-September fans can visit downtown Akron to enjoy affordable family fun.
milb.com/akron/tickets/ single-game-tickets
BLU-Tique Hotel Akron
BLU-Tique Hotel Akron, a Tribute Portfolio of Marriott Hotels, offers 71 rooms, an on-site restaurant and lounge, live music, and meeting and event space. Come for the food. Stay for the music. Stay for the night. blu-tique.com
Cuyahoga River, Glens Trail, Summit Metro Parks
Stan Hywet
Hale Farm & Village
Spend a memorable day touring historic Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron Ohio, including the Tudor revival Manor House, magnificent gardens, conservatory and butterfly habitat. Plan a visit today!
stanhywet.org
Experience history in action at Hale Farm & Village—from toe-tapping tunes at our Music in the Valley Festival to dramatic reenactments during Civil War Weekend. Summer fun, 19th-century style!
halefarm.org
Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Make Cuyahoga Valley National Park your front porch with a stay at the historic Stanford House. Let breathtaking scenery and nearby Brandywine Falls complement your relaxing visit. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, including hiking, biking, kayaking and more.
forcvnp.org/stanfordhouse
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad offers a heritage rail experience that connects people with history, community, nature, family and friends, all within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
cvsr.org
Blossom Music Center
Paddle The Cuyahoga River
Paddle the Cuyahoga River in a single kayak, tandem kayak or a raft! Perfect for all skill levels to embrace nature and create unforgettable memories. Book your adventure today and discover the beauty that awaits around every bend!
paddletheriver.com
Summit Choral Society
Summit Choral Society’s nationally recognized, award-winning programs serve all ages to produce exceptional choral performances and preserve the art of choral music for the enrichment and enjoyment of the Greater Akron community. We invite you to experience the music of the 25-26 Season with us!
summitchoralsociety.org
visitakron-summit.org
Cuyahoga Falls
Cuyahoga Falls has something for everyone: a historic downtown, unique shops and eateries, craft breweries, and outdoor recreational opportunities for all levels. We invite you to plan your next adventure with us and see why Life is Better Here!
cityofcf.com
The MAPS Air Museum is a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about history, particularly aviation history, and its impact upon society. Come for the aircraft — Stay for the history!
mapsairmuseum.org
AKRON/CANTON
lion times a day by hands around the world, Lieberth points out.)
Of course, any exhibition celebrating Akron would be incomplete without a tribute to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., which was founded here in 1898. For 2025, the Goodyear Blimp, one of the most recognizable airships in the world, is celebrating a milestone of its own. To mark its 100th anniversary, the blimp will fly over more than 100 cities across North America and Europe. To find an appearance near you, visit goodyearblimp.com.
Summer Events
Spectators and runners in the Goodyear Half Marathon & 10K can admire the Goodyear Blimp as it takes to the skies during these Aug. 9 events. The races start at Goodyear Proving Grounds and end at the company’s world headquarters, where Swensons Drive-In is prepared to serve up
Galley Boy burgers, and live music makes for a celebratory atmosphere.
The 87th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship Race week rolls into town July 13 through 19, with the World Championship race set for July 19. Nearly 300 participants ages 7 to 20 are expected to race these gravity-driven vehicles in three divisions. On July 17, the
public is invited to Derby Downs for an open house that showcases the competing race cars and to visit the Soap Box Derby Hall of Fame and Museum.
The largest annual gathering of twins in the world is celebrating “Cheers to 50 Years!” as it marks half a century. Held Aug. 2 and 3 in Twinsburg, the Twins Days Festival will have you seeing double as sets of registered
Goodyear Half Marathon & 10K; Twins Day Festival (above); (opposite page) Props and Pistons Festival (top) Civil War Weekend at Hale Farm & Village (bottom)
twins and multiples compete in a variety of competitions. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their favorite themes from years past.
The Props and Pistons Festival has been selected as the state’s first venue to host the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Fly-In event of 2025. In addition to the family-friendly airshow, classic car cruise-in, food trucks and kids zone, an estimated 400 to 500 aircraft will gather at the Akron Fulton Airport Aug. 16 and 17. The two-day aerial event promises to honor aviators while dazzling onlookers.
To get a feel for life in America during the 1860s, head to Bath for Hale Farm & Village’s Civil War Weekend to rub elbows with Abraham Lincoln and more than 700 other reenactors who “authentically portray the strategies and the struggles of the time,” according to Stephanie Lero, director at Hale Farm & Village. This year’s event, held Aug. 9 and 10, highlights the Battle of Sailor’s Creek, which occurred near Farmville, Virginia on April 6, 1865, shortly before the end of the war.
Animal Adventures
For dinosaur lovers and Jurassic Park junkies, the Akron Zoo invites visitors to roam among more than 20 different species of herbivores and carnivores as they roar to life across the zoo’s grounds in the animatronic DinoTrek adventure.
Linda Criss, chief operating officer at the Akron Zoo, says that although printed maps are available to pinpoint the dinosaurs’ locations, she doubts visitors will need help spotting giants like the apatosaurus, which towers more than 20 feet tall. Other notable creatures include the Tyrannosaurus rex, velociraptor, stegosaurus, rugops, triceratops and dilophosaurus. Visitors can spot six of the dinosaurs by riding the train that departs from the Pride of Africa Train Depot.
“There’s a lot of interesting facts about dinosaurs, and since no one who studies them was around when they were here, it’s all things that are discovered through fossils and historical data,” Criss notes. “So, they’re constantly learning new things as they’re making new discoveries.”
The DinoTrek also features daily interactions with baby dinosaur characters, encounters with Caesar the T-Rex, a dino lab, a dino nursery and more throughout the duration of the exhibit, which runs through Sept. 14.
This year, the 50th anniversary celebration for Cuyahoga Valley National Park continues. The park was originally established as Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in 1974, and today, it stands as Ohio’s only National Park (a designation it received in 2000). Travelers can stop by the Boston Mill Visitor Center to collect 50th anniversary stickers or a special stamp on their National Park Service passport.
The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a nonprofit group that helps support the park and its initiatives, offers a guide on its website that outlines 50 ways to experience this national treasure. The park’s 50th anniversary celebration runs through the end of the year.
WHEN YOU GO
For more information about other events in Akron and Summit County go to visitakron-summit.org.
Akron History Center akronhistorycenter.org
Goodyear Blimp Anniversary goodyearblimp.com
Goodyear Half Marathon & 10K akronmarathon.org
All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship aasbd.soapboxderby.org
Twins Days Festival twinsdays.org
Props and Pistons Festival flyohio.org
Hale Farm & Village wrhs.org/do-see/historic-sites/halefarm-village
Akron Zoo akronzoo.org
Cuyahoga Valley National Park nps.gov/cuva; conservancyforcvnp.org
CANTON
Football Focus
Whether you’re a rookie or a regular at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you’re bound to find electrifying entertainment and new exhibits that make each visit unique. For the annual Enshrinement Week, which runs July 31 through Aug. 3, the Detroit Lions take the field against the Los Angeles Chargers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on July 31.
“The Lions playing the Chargers in this game for us is a very big deal,” says Rich Desrosiers, chief communications officer for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. “… Neither of [these teams] have been here in about 30 years each, so we’re excited about being able to do that for these two fan bases.”
This year’s class of inductees includes Antonio Gates, who played his entire career
for the Chargers but has local ties as an alum of Kent State University, where he played basketball. Other inductees include Eric Allen, Jared Allen and Sterling Sharpe. In
addition to the Gold Jacket Dinner (Aug. 1) and the Enshrinement Ceremony (Aug. 2), Nickelback takes the stage during the Concert for Legends (Aug. 3).
Sip into Summer
Enshrinement Week returns to the Pro Football Hall of Fame July 31 through Aug. 3 and includes a Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Chargers game and the Concert for Legends.
AKRON/CANTON
This year, an expanded Super Bowl champion exhibit also makes its debut inside the museum near the case of 59 Super Bowl rings. Currently, the brand new exhibit shines a spotlight on the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2025 win over the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX.
“We just opened it,” Desrosiers says. “We’re currently featuring the Philadelphia
Grandma & Grandpa’s
Eagles and they’ll be on display until the next Super Bowl champion is determined.”
In addition to jerseys worn by some of the players during the 2024 season, Derosiers says artifacts from the 1960 championship team, the 1948/49 team’s championship ring and various headsets, shoes, gloves and other mementos worn by Eagles coaches and players have been brought
(left); (opposite page) Balloon Classic (top), Innovations in Brass (bottom)
from storage and back into the spotlight. Although most of the exhibits at the museum highlight greatness on the gridiron, an exhibition titled “Character” looks at bravery, overcoming adversity and heroism off the field. The exhibition, which runs through the end of the year, showcases the stories of Bryant Young, Pat Tillman, Joe Delaney and others, focusing on values such as courage, respect and integrity.
“It’s about how the game of football helps to build, develop and enhance character traits and skills that athletes need to demonstrate both inside and outside of the game,” Desrosiers says.
Festivals & Celebrations
The annual African American Arts & Cultural Festival on July 10 in downtown Canton’s Centennial Plaza promises a celebration of African American heritage, creativity and economic empowerment that includes local vendors and live entertainment with a “United We Stand” theme.
Attic
Downtown Canton Blues & BBQ Festival
Centennial Plaza will be rocking once again on July 11 and 12 during the Downtown Canton Blues & BBQ Festival. In addition to barbecue-themed food trucks and music from bands like the Bob Frank Trio and the Jake Friel Band, a craft beer tent will be set up, featuring local favorites from Muskellunge Brewing Co., UnHitched Brewing Co.’s The Woodshop, and Lockport Brewery.
During the 40th annual Balloon Classic, 50 hot air balloons hover high overhead, with five scheduled flights set to take place during this free, three-day event happening July 25 through 27 at Kent State University’s Stark Campus. For the second year, a choreographed 500-drone light show is set to dazzle spectators by featuring 200 more drones than last year.
“It’s kind of like, if you are used to the original Atari when they first came out, now it’s like a PS4,” says Mark Prosise, vice president of events and strategic initiatives for the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce. “The graphics that we’ll be able to do with the additional drones will be incredible.”
A food festival, live entertainment, night glow, fireworks and 5K run and fun walk are expected to keep guests busy throughout the weekend.
In a tribute to art, culture and community, the Mural Fest Canton (sponsored by ArtsinStark, Downtown Canton Part-
nership and Visit Canton and the city of Canton) pairs artists with blank canvases on downtown buildings to create an inspiring collection of murals. The unveiling date for the murals is set for Sept. 27, when many artists will be on-site to talk about their art.
One of the nation’s largest drum corps shows is scheduled to take over Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Aug. 4, when Innovations in Brass returns. Attendees can eat, shop and play among the attractions in the neighboring Pro Football Hall of Fame Village.
AKRON/CANTON
Summer Sounds
If the melodic sounds of outdoor concerts light your fire, there is no shortage of bands and venues to get you grooving and singing to your favorite tunes under the summer stars. At the Plain Township Amphitheater at Legacy Park, music fans can roll out a blanket on the lawn, relax at cozy firepits or hang out in front of the stage listening to cover bands that span decades of music and bring back memories for many.
“We’re offering an opportunity to take yourself back to the time when those songs were being sung, whichever decade that may have been at the time,” says Plain Township parks director Rob Steinberg. “It allows people that are even casual music fans to come pay a reasonable fee and listen to great music.”
Among the performances are tribute acts such as Elton Rohn (July 10), EagleMania (July 17) and Hard Day’s Night
(Aug. 7). In Jackson Township, at The Nash Family Jackson Amphitheater, a 3,500-seat venue hosts the E5C4P3 Journey Tribute Band (July 11), New World Men: The Sound of Rush (July 19), Queen Flash: A Tribute to Queen (Aug. 16), Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones Tribute Show (Aug. 23) and Living on a Bad Name: Bon Jovi Tribute (Aug. 30).
For those looking to get creative, join the First Friday – Chalk the Walk event at Centennial Plaza in downtown Canton, where chalk artists will be drawing over sidewalks and streets. Street vendors, breweries, inflatables and a food truck court are all part of the fun at the Blues & BBQ Festival (July 11), Kick It at Hall of Fame First Friday! (Aug. 1) and Canvas and Concrete with New Wave Nation (Sept. 5).
“If you’re a foodie and you like art and you want to listen to music, First Friday is a great place to do all of that,” says First Friday creative director Jonathan Becker.
FIRST FRIDAY CELEBRATION
WHEN YOU GO
For more information about other events in Canton and Stark County go to visitcanton.com.
Pro Football Hall of Fame profootballhof.com
African American Arts & Cultural Festival starkurbanleague.org
Balloon Classic
akroncantonairport.com/balloon-classic
Innovations in Brass bluecoats.com/innovations
Plain Township Amphitheater plaintownshipamphitheater.com
The Nash Family Jackson Amphitheater jacksonamphitheater.com
First Friday Celebration cantonfirstfriday.com/special-events
APPALACHIA
Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region is packed with outdoor fun, living history and food finds. Here are more than 20 destinations to explore this summer. By Jason Brill
APPALACHIA
Many of Ohio’s first permanent settlements are located in the 32-county region that traces the banks of the Ohio River and hugs the Pennsylvania border. Here, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, outdoor adventure, the history of America and down-home culinary finds merge. Whether you’re seeing the Hocking Hills from a fresh perspective, discovering the region’s rich history or savoring a glass of great wine, these destinations across Ohio’s Appalachian region promise much to discover.
Outdoor Adventure
The Hocking Hills region has always been best appreciated on foot (or horseback or zip line), but a new audio tour that’s part of the TravelStorys smartphone app makes driving the region’s winding roads an adventure worth rolling down the windows for. The 90-minute tour of the Hocking Hills Scenic Byway, which was developed in partnership with the Hocking Hills Tourism Association, uses GPS to guide travelers south along state Route 374, dispensing bits of knowledge about popular spots like Cantwell Cliffs, Rock House and Old Man’s Cave. Make sure you hop out and hit the trails along the way to see these natural wonders up close.
Once night falls, head to John Glenn Astronomy Park, one of the stops on the audio tour. The park features weekend stargazing programming, letting you learn about the celestial marvels overhead. For more night-owl fun, High Rock Adventures’ night-rappel tour offers a mile-long evening hike and two rappels of 60 to 70 feet.
Outdoor experiences in Ohio’s Appalachian region reach far beyond the Hocking Hills. At The Wilds in Cumberland, over
JOHN GLENN ASTRONOMY PARK
BRAD HOEHNE
VISIT GALLIA
441 Second Ave. Gallipolis 45631, 740-446-6882 visitgallia.com
Guests are sure to have a pleasurable experience while visiting this area of southern Ohio. The sense of pride shared by the community can be felt throughout the region, and guests are encouraged to take advantage of the many attractions and events available during their stay.
ZANESVILLE
Zane’s Landing Park 200 Market St. Zanesville 43701, 740-607-1870 lorenasternwheeler.com
Step aboard the Lorena Sternwheeler, a charming riverboat offering scenic cruises along the Muskingum River in Zanesville. Perfect for relaxing rides, private events and seasonal tours, the Lorena delivers unforgettable views, local history and classic riverboat charm for all ages.
Winding roads, rolling hills, rivers and creeks, plus some of the best food in the Midwest - it can all be found in Ohio’s Appalachian Country. Plan your trip today.
CAMBRIDGE/GUERNSEY COUNTY VISITORS & CONVENTION BUREAU
627 Wheeling Ave., Suite #200 Cambridge 43725, 740-432-2022 visitguernseycounty.com
Seneca Lake packs in the family fun at its new lakeside splash pad. This state-of-the-art outdoor water area features interactive water elements, slides, a tree house and whimsical picnic-themed water stations.
NOBLE COUNTY
22172 Park Rd. Senecaville 43780, 740-685-6013 mwcd.org/places/seneca-lake The new Splash Pad at Seneca
MAHONING COUNTY
21 W. Boardman St. Youngstown 44503, 800-447-8201 exploremahoning.com
230 N. Plaza Blvd. Chillicothe 45601, 740-702-7677 visitchillicotheohio.com
Chillicothe and Ross County are where rich heritage and family adventure come together in a vibrant, welcoming destination. Explore ancient earthworks, visit a 19th-century mansion, enjoy a live outdoor drama and embrace miles of scenic trails and parks. It’s the
MARIETTA OHIO PORTSMOUTH-SCIOTO COUNTY VISITORS BUREAU
place for unforgettable family fun, cultural exploration and creating timeless memories. “TECUMSEH!” 5968 Marietta Rd. Chillicothe 45601, 740-775-0700 tecumsehdrama.com
Witness the epic life story of the legendary Shawnee leader as he struggles to defend his sacred homelands in the Ohio country during the late 1700s. Sit beneath the stars as sheer spectacle surrounds you with a herd of galloping horses and the most dazzling battle sequences seen on the
Located in northeast Ohio, Mahoning County offers the perfect blend of nature, history and culture. Explore Mill Creek MetroParks, the Butler Institute of American Art, Lake Milton and the Canfield Fair. Discover charming wineries, vibrant dining and historic gems. It’s a destination filled with beauty, culture and hospitality. 241 Front St. Marietta 45750, 740-373-5178 mariettaohio.org Climb aboard the Historic Marietta Trolley Tour and journey through centuries of charm. Explore pioneer history, river views, ancient mounds and Victorian neighborhoods. Knowledgeable guides
ENJOY AN INSPIRING WEEKEND IN KNOX COUNTY
Enter for the chance to win a luxurious overnight stay at the Kenyon Inn & Restaurant and tickets to a show at one of Downtown Mount Vernon’s historic theaters, courtesy of Mount Vernon Arts Partners. Sip and dine with a gift card to the Village Inn and complete your getaway with a shopping spree using an Experience Mount Vernon downtown e-gift card. Enter for your chance to win this unforgettable experience!
WIN
TWO CANTON MUSEUM PASSES
24. Destination Mansfield - Richland County
Destination Toledo
Elkins-Randolph County Tourism Convention & Visitors Bureau
Experience Columbus
Fayette County Travel & Tourism Bureau
Gallia County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa
Greater Grand Lakes Visitor Region
Greater Parkersburg Convention & Visitors Bureau (WV)
Greene County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Hale Farm & Village
Historic Downtown Millersburg 38. Hocking Hills Tourism Association
Holmes County Historical Society & Victorian House Museum
Jefferson County West Virginia
& Visitors Bureau
Kingwood Center Gardens
Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau 43. Lewis County Convention & Visitors Bureau (WV)
Experience “America’s Playing Field” in Canton and Stark County. Discover legendary history and local charm with passes to the Canton Classic Car Museum, First Ladies National Historic Site, McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, Pro Football Hall of Fame and more. Enter for the chance to win two Canton Museum Passes and an overnight stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Canton.
Commission 45. Mahoning County Convention & Visitors Bureau
46. MAPS Air Museum 47. Marietta Convention & Visitors Bureau
48. Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention & Visitors Bureau (WV)
49. Massillon Museum
50. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
51. Medina County Convention & Visitors Bureau
52. Miami County VCB
53. Miller’s Creamery
54. Millersburg Brewing Company
55. New Albany Chamber of Commerce
56. Noble County Convention & Visitors Bureau
57. Ohio Caverns
58. Ohio Grape Industries
59. Ohio State Fair
60. Paddle The River
61. Portsmouth & Scioto County Visitors Bureau
62. Riffe Gallery
63. Ross Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau
64. Rossford Convention and Visitors Bureau
65. Shores & Islands Ohio
66. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
67. StayinAkron.com
68. Suite on Jackson
69. Summersville Convention & Visitors Bureau
70. Summit Choral Society
71. Sunny Slope Winery
72. The Inns at 8th & Main
73. The Mascot Syndicate
74. The Scioto Society - Tecumseh
75. Travel Butler County (OH)
76. Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe
77. Trumbull County Tourism Bureau
78. Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau
79. Urban Farmgirl
80. Visit Athens County
81. Visit BG (OH)
82. Visit Canton
83. Visit Cincy
84. Visit Dublin Ohio
85. Visit Findlay
86. Visit Greater Lima
87. Visit Grove City
88. Visit Southern West Virginia
89. Wayne County Convention & Visitors Bureau
90. Zanesville/Muskingum County
44. London Laurel Tourism
APPALACHIA
10,000 acres of reclaimed mining land is now home to safari tours featuring animals such as cheetahs, giraffes and rhinos. New for 2025 is the 75-acre Hellbender RV Campground, which has 47 full-hookup recreational vehicle sites, 26 primitive camping spots, and hiking and biking trails. Northeast of The Wilds, Ohio’s largest state park, Salt Fork State Park, is home to a new Eco-Discovery Center. Opened this year, the 3,332-square-foot center features interactive exhibits, including a woodland and wetland diorama with a tunnel kids can crawl through, aquariums and terrariums with live animals, and exhibits dedicated to Salt Fork’s Bigfoot lore.
Appalachian Roots
In the late 1800s, southeast Ohio boomed with coal mining, which resulted in the loss of many of the region’s lush forests. Although Wayne National Forest was established in the 1930s with second-growth hardwoods and sparked a boom in outdoor
recreation, what remains of the region’s mining towns, collectively known as the Little Cities of Black Diamonds, offer insight into the region’s history.
Check out the annual New Straitsville Moonshine Festival each May, celebrating the town’s heritage with demonstrations of a working still and moonshine-themed foods. In nearby Athens County, the more than 100-year-old Eclipse Company Store —
once the center of a thriving mining town — now serves food and craft beer.
The historical preser vation of the region goes beyond mining towns and forests too. In 2022, the palachian Freedom Heri tage Tourism Initiative created to highlight the rich
It’s more than a motorcycle rally, it’s the story behind it all.
APPALACHIA
history of the Underground Railroad in southeast Ohio. The initiative is installing historical markers at 20 Ohio Underground Railroad sites that are part of the National Parks Service’s Network to Freedom program, including the Rankin House National Landmark in Ripley and the Pleasant Green Baptist Church and Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Portsmouth. The initiative has plans for seven more markers at historical sites in southeast Ohio.
In Noble County, the memory of the U.S.S. Shenandoah and its crew is remembered to this day, nearly a century after the airship’s tragic demise. On Sept. 3, 1925, America’s first rigid, helium-filled dirigible was passing over Ohio as part of an 11-state tour of the nation when a storm destroyed the 680-foot-long U.S. Navy airship and killed 14 of its crew members. Today, you can visit some of the crash sites, and to mark the 100th anniversary of the tragedy, the town of Ava will host a memorial event Aug. 31.
Living History
Taking the stage each summer for more than five decades, Chillicothe’s “Tecumseh!” outdoor drama is almost as legendary as the man himself. The outdoor drama staged at Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre highlights Tecumseh’s life as he fights to hold onto his homeland during the late 1700s. Watch as horses gallop, cannons fire and battles unfold.
Next, head to Adena Mansion & Gardens. The 2,000-acre estate perched above Chillicothe was once the home of Thomas Worthington, father of Ohio statehood and
our state’s sixth governor. Visitors can tour the 1807 home, its gardens and visitor center.
A short drive away, history buffs can take a trip further back in time at the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park Mound City Group. Part of Ohio’s only UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Mound City Group features reconstructions of Native American-built ceremonial earthworks that stood here up to 2,000 years ago, and the on-site visitor center displays artifacts found during archaeological digs.
The area that is today Tuscarawas County played a role in the American Revolution, and thanks to “Trumpet in the Land, ” Schoenbrunn Village and Fort Laurens,
”Tecumseh!” outdoor drama (top); a view from a window at Adena Mansion (above); pizzas from Georgetown Tavern on the Hill (opposite page)
travelers can learn about that history. For more than 56 years, “Trumpet in the Land” has staged an outdoor drama sharing the story of Moravian missionary David Zeisberger and his followers as they established Schoenbrunn in 1772 before becoming entangled in war.
Just a couple miles away sits the Schoenbrunn Village site, which features 18 reconstructed log-built structures and the original mission cemetery. Complete your American Revolution-era outing by heading to the Fort Laurens Museum in Bolivar. The museum features exhibits, including a model of the fort, which was the only American Revolutionary War stronghold in what is now Ohio.
Food & Drink
There’s plenty of fun to harvest along the Wild About Wine Trail, a 15-stop tour of wineries and breweries in Guernsey, Coshocton and Muskingum counties. Ten wineries and five breweries make up the trail, including Y-Bridge Brewing Co. in Zanesville. Head to Georgetown Vineyards in Cambridge to try its American Fredonia or American Cranberry, a sweet wine that is pleasantly tart. The vineyards are part of Georgetown Tavern on the Hill, which serves the wines along with pizzas, caprese salad or bruschetta for a perfect pairing.
APPALACHIA
At Guernsey Brewhouse in Cambridge, make sure to order the S-Bridge Chocolate Cake Stout or the Sasquatch Cerveza, a refreshing Mexican lager that pays homage to Salt Fork State Park’s famous cryptid. If traditional German brews are more your style, Wooly Pig Farm Brewery features classics such as the Rustic Helles golden lager and the Schwarzbier black lager. (You can also order pork products made at the working farm, including bacon, bratwurst or pork chops, ahead of time and pick up the order when you visit.)
Theo’s Restaurant in downtown Cambridge is a local favorite with roots that reach to 1931. Feast on classics such as hot sliced beef sandwiches served with mashed potatoes and gravy, burgers and daily specials such as house-made cabbage rolls. Don’t leave without a slice (or more) of the restaurant’s house-made pies, which have been on the menu since the start, with flavors such as Dutch apple, cherry or chocolate cream. At Dockside Restaurant at Seneca Lake Marina outside of Cambridge, you can soak in the mix of lakeside vibes and local flavors. During the summer, ribs, brisket and pulled pork are smoked over local fruitwood.
New at Seneca Lake Park
• “The Splash Pad” water slides
• Multiple water features
• Covered seating areas, located close to the beach at Seneca Lake
• The “Burger Stop” snack bar for a refreshing treat
THEO’S RESTAURANT
RICK LEE
WHEN YOU GO
Visit these websites for more information about locations mentioned in this article.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
Hocking Hills Scenic Byway Tour travelstorys.com
John Glenn Astronomy Park jgap.info
The Wilds thewilds.org
High Rock Adventures highrockadventures.com
Salt Fork State Park parks.ohiodnr.gov
APPALACHIAN ROOTS
Little Cities of Black Diamonds lcbdohio.org
New Straitsville Moonshine Festival facebook.com/ newstraitsvilleohio
Eclipse Company Store eclipsecompanystore.com
Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative appalachianfreedom.com
U.S.S. Shenandoah visitnoblecountyohio.com
LIVING HISTORY Tecumseh! tecumsehdrama.com
Adena Mansion & Gardens Historic Site adenamansion.com
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park nps.gov/hocu
Trumpet in the Land trumpetintheland.com
Schoenbrunn Village ohiohistory.org
Fort Laurens Museum fortlaurensmuseum.org
FOOD & DRINK
Wild About Wine Trail visitguernseycounty.com visitcoshocton.com visitzanesville.com
Georgetown Tavern on the Hill georgetowntavern.com
Guernsey Brewhouse guernseybrewhouse.com
Wooly Pig Farm Brewery woolypigfarmbrewery.com
Theo’s Restaurant theosrestaurant.us
Dockside Restaurant docksideofsenecalake.com
visitchampaignohio
visitchampaignohio
visitchampaignohio
BEST HOMETOWNS
From a charming spot that honors legendary candies to a museum dedicated to preserving World War II history, our Best Hometowns 2024–25 offer destinations you’ll love. By Erin Finan, Gracie Metz and Kelly Powell
BEST HOMETOWNS
Bucket List
The enormous scoop that belonged to the gargantuan excavator known as Big Muskie is immortalized at this roadside park that shares McConnelsville’s coal heritage.
The 460,000-pound metal bucket along state Route 78 in McConnelsville serves as much more than a roadside oddity. It is a testament to human engineering and a tribute to the men and women who worked in the region’s coal-mining industry. Naturally, travelers frequently pull over to check out the last remaining piece of Big Muskie, a mammoth piece of machinery that was the largest dragline ever built.
“[Big Muskie] could pick up its load and drop it two blocks away,” says Ron Mingus, park manager for Jesse Owens State Park, where the attraction is located. “The bucket is basically the size of two Greyhound buses.”
A river town, McConnelsville was known for agriculture and farming in the 1930s and ’40s, but as the land became less conducive to growing food, it was repur-
posed for strip mining, which took off in the area starting in the 1960s. The Central Ohio Coal Co., which was once a subsidiary of AEP, would use Big Muskie to scrape off the top layer of earthen material to access the sulfur coal underneath.
Mining in the area went on for decades, concluding in 1999 when Central Ohio
Big Muskie’s bucket; Early Television Museum in Hilliard (opposite page)
Coal Co. ceased operations, and the dragline was dismantled.
People from all over stop at Jesse Owens State Park to snap a photo of themselves in the enormous bucket and imagine Big Muskie’s immensity, but they can also enjoy the park’s 3,000 acres that welcome hiking, fishing, birdwatching and camping.
RACHAEL JIROUSEK
“When you drive out state Route 78 from McConnelsville, you start to see the mining history,” Mingus says. “You can stand and visualize Big Muskie on top of the hill doing its work.” 4470 St. Rte. 78, McConnelsville 43756, 740/453-4377, ohiodnr.gov
Screen Time
TV history comes to life at the Early Television Museum in Hilliard, where a collection of technology from bygone years tells a story of American culture.
The Philco Predicta’s small, rounded screen was once what the future looked like. This television appeared in the late 1950s and quickly found its way into households across America. Today, it would look out of place most anywhere, but it fits right in at Hilliard’s quirky Early Television Museum.
Steve McVoy, who opened the museum in 2001, has been interested in television sets and technology ever since working in a TV repair shop in the 1950s. He later owned a cable-television business, Coaxial Communications, on the east side of Columbus until 1999. After selling that
business, McVoy bought a rare 1939 television on eBay. As he acquired even more vintage TVs — and with his wife’s insistence to get them out of the basement — he set out to share his collection.
“I started thinking about the fact that all of these very rare sets … were in people’s basements and attics and garages,” McVoy says. “None of them were easy for the public to see.”
The museum takes visitors on a journey through 10 distinct sections housing around 150 television sets and technology ranging from the 1920s to the ’80s. Walking deeper into the museum, visitors witness the evolution of TVs and learn about milestones like the advent of the first color television. In the final room, visitors see a highlight of McVoy’s collection, a 1948 mobile production van. This large, white van is one of only a few that were ever made and was used by WGSF Television in
Newark, Ohio, before it was donated to the Ohio History Center, which has permanently loaned it to the museum.
“There was not a museum in the country that dealt with the hardware of early television,” McVoy says. “And television is such an important part of our culture.” 5396 Franklin St., Hilliard 43026, 614/771-0510, earlytelevision.org
American Hall is a newly renovated event and lodging venue in the heart of Amish Country. The spacious suites offer modern amenities with historical charm, and the loft-style event space can comfortably seat over 200 guests. americanhallvenue.com
Experience the elegance of the historic Victorian House Museum. Enjoy selfguided tours through Oct. 31. Tour times Tues. – Sunday 1:00-4:00pm Closed Monday. victorianhouse.org
The Mascot Syndicate
Childhood nostalgia comes to life at this charming shop. Peruse a selection of retro art, stationery, books, toys, tees and housewares that will delight old-school film fans and vintage enthusiasts alike. themascotsyndicate.com
Millersburg Brewing Company
Located in downtown Millersburg, just across from the courthouse, this spot has been serving up awardwinning brews since 2013. Enjoy 20 house-made beers on tap, as well as a full-service bar and incredible dining. millersburgbrewing.com
Suite on Jackson Cross-Key Vacation
Rentals is a 2nd floor walk-up located in downtown Millersburg. Booking direct through our site saves 10-15%. Join our email list to receive an additional 10% discount. When booking, please mention Ohio Magazine in the comments section. cross-keyvacarents.com
Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe
From the 2024 Millersburg Merchant of the Year. Enjoy delicious chocolates that are handmade on-site using three generations of family recipes. Whichever flavor or texture you prefer — crunchy, gooey, creamy, sweet or salty — there is something for everyone. troyerssweetshoppe.com
American Hall
The Mascot Syndicate
Suite on Jackson
The Victorian House Museum Millersburg Brewing Company
Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe
The Heartbeat of Ohio’s Amish Country
Chateau in the ‘BurgGuest House & Event Venue
Urban Farmgirl brings a western and boho feel to Historic Downtown Millersburg. Shop clothing, leather goods, footwear, genuine turquoise jewelry and much more. urbanfarmgirl.boutique
The Chateau in the ‘Burg is an exquisite home in Holmes County, close to all the attractions. If you’re looking for a five-star whole-house rental, a single room, or a small event venue, we’d love to host you—contact us today! chateauintheburg.com
Indulge in old-fashioned treats at Miller’s Creamery in Millersburg, from hand-dipped ice cream and sundaes to fresh-made puffels — bubble waffles filled with ice cream and toppings — all with a view of the historic downtown. millerscreamery.com
Butterfly Bliss Cottage welcomes you to a charming vacation rental where comfort and relaxation blend seamlessly. Only a beautiful 10-minute drive from Historic Downtown Millersburg. This 2-bed, 1-bath paradise is tucked between stunning Amish Country and the majestic Mohican State Park. butterflyblisscottage.com
Slope Winery
We’re ready to pour you a good time at Sunny Slope Winery! Sip, relax and enjoy live music and food trucks every weekend. Winery hours are Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. sunnyslopewinery.com
Explore Historic Downtown Millersburg: stroll past 19th century storefronts housing unique artisan shops, cozy dining experiences, century old Hotel Millersburg, and the Rails to Trails buggy path—all set within the heart of Amish Country history. historicdowntownmillersburg.com
Urban Farmgirl
Miller’s Creamery
Sunny Slope Winery
Butterfly Bliss Cottage
Historic Downtown Millersburg
Sunny
BEST HOMETOWNS
Soaring Tribute
Urbana’s Champaign Aviation Museum pays tribute to World War II aviators with a museum and ongoing restoration of its centerpiece aircraft, the Champaign Lady.
From the moment you step inside the main hangar at the Champaign Aviation Museum, you’ll notice that it’s anything but quiet. The sounds of drilling, hammering and clanging fill the air, indicating the ongoing aircraft restoration work that fuels the museum’s mission of preserving World War II aviation history.
The museum started in January 2006 with the restoration of the Champaign Lady, a B-17 bomber, using parts salvaged from different aircraft. The plane currently serves as the centerpiece of the operation and is its longest ongoing project.
Over time, the museum has added more items to its collection, including World War II artifacts and memorabilia, as well as seven other military and civilian aircraft.
“We’re hands on,” says Jessica Henry, deputy director at the Champaign Aviation Museum. “We fly our airplanes. We invite the public into our restoration area, whereas
a lot of other museums, they don’t want the public to be mixed with that.”
Visitors can observe the restoration process and speak with a handful of the more than 100 volunteers who work on the planes. Numbered stations allow visitors to choose their own path while exploring the museum, whether they wish to learn more about the manufacturing side of the war effort or the stories of combat pilots.
Located on an active airfield, the museum also hosts events that offer flights in the Champaign Gal, a B-25 twin-engine bomber. In 2010, an exhibit was added to honor the 1,048 civilian women of WASP who played
a critical role in assisting the military during World War II by ferrying aircraft, testing experimental planes and training pilots.
“They were truly the first of their kind, and they opened the door for all women to enter the aviation world, commercially, in the military and as astronauts,” Henry says. “We really want to share [their story].” 1652 N. Main St., Urbana 43078, 937/652-4710, champaignaviationmuseum.org
Country Miles
The Holmes County Trail offers visitors to Millersburg a fresh way to experience the region and provides members of the local Amish community a new route for getting around.
Click the helmet strap tight, power up the electric bike, set your speed and take off down the Holmes County Trail. Established in 1996 by the Holmes County Rails-to-Trails Coalition, the 15-mile route lined with trees and farm fields passes through downtown Millersburg. It is part of the 326-mile Ohio to Erie Trail that stretches from Cleveland to Cincinnati, as well as the 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail, a route that, when completed, will stretch from Washington D.C. to La Push, Washington.
The Holmes County Trail has its northern terminus in the Wayne County village of Fredericksburg and travels south through Holmesville, Millersburg and Killbuck before a short road route to Glenmont, where the trail picks up again and ends just before the Knox County village of Brinkhaven. Trail users can walk, inline skate or bike the route and should be prepared to share the path with a horse and buggy or two.
“It was built and designed so it could accommodate all of those different users,” says Jen Halverson, director of the Holmes County Park District, which oversees and maintains the Holmes County Trail. “It’s much wider than the typical trail because of that.”
To see large swaths of the trail at a time, travelers should consider renting an electric bike from Holmesville’s E-Bikes of Holmes County and begin their travels at the Hipp Station building in downtown Millersburg. Bikes are rented by the hour and can be picked up at the shop or delivered to all lodging facilities in Holmes County for a fee.
“We’ll have locals who will come here and park or walk down the hill and do their
TOP:
RACHAEL JIROUSEK; LEFT: DOUG HINEBAUGH
Electric bike on the Holmes County Trail (top); Champaign Aviation Museum (right); Spangler Candy World (opposite page)
daily run or bike ride,” Halverson says. “But then you’re going to see [a] parking lot full of cars with bike racks with out-of-state plates because they’ve driven here specifically to get on this trail and experience it.” Hipp Station: 62 N. Grant St., Millersburg 44654, holmesparkdistrict.org
Sweet Spot
Spangler Candy World in Bryan offers a new way to experience the century-old candy producer, with nostalgic exhibits, interactive games and, of course, plenty of treats.
Two towering light-up Dum Dums, a conveyor belt of candy boxes and a Sweethearts Chapel are just a few of the many eye-catching wonders that await upon stepping through the doors of Spangler Candy World in downtown Bryan.
Opened in 1906, Spangler Candy Co. has long been the city’s sweetest spot, and over the years the company became the producer of beloved treats like Dum Dums lollipops, Sweethearts, Circus Peanuts and a variety of candy canes.
In late 2023, the family-owned business delighted locals and travelers alike with the opening of its latest venture: Spangler Candy World. The 5,400-square-foot museum
and gift shop in downtown Bryan invites visitors to immerse themselves in the sweet world of Spangler by way of company artifacts, hands-on interactive exhibits and a fun, 15-minute movie.
The company previously had a small, 1,400-square-foot museum at its Spangler Candy Co. factory, located just outside downtown Bryan, which included a short factory tour by trolley, and it saw around 20,000 visitors annually during its 15-year run before both the museum and tours ceased operations in 2021.
“Then this space became available, and we said, ‘Isn’t it better to have a larger space that has more things that are fun, not just for adults but for kids as well?’” says Spangler CEO Kirk Vashaw.
Those kid-friendly exhibits include interactive touch screens and hands-free video games that provide fun and educational experiences, while the museum packs in enough information for adults interested in learning about this storied Ohio company’s long history.
Admission to Spangler Candy World is free, although there is a small charge to watch the movie that immerses viewers in the sights (and even scents) of the candy-making process. 131 S. Main St., Bryan 43506, 419/633-6439, spanglercandyworld.com
WEST VIRGINIA
Explore five scenic routes that show off the beauty, history and opportunities for outdoor adventure that make the Mountain State a summer draw. By Macy Kile
WEST VIRGINIA
Seneca Skyway
This 300-mile route passes through “America’s Coolest Small Town,” offers a chance to visit Blackwater Falls State Park and wraps up at a famous resort with a not-so-secret history.
The Seneca Skyway travels U.S. Highways 219 and 33 and state Routes 32 and 92 deep into the Potomac Highlands on a roughly 6-hour drive that explores over 300 miles of mountain views and forested hills filled with rich history and opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Begin in Lewisburg, dubbed “America’s Coolest Small Town,” and stop by Carnegie Hall. Financed by steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie in 1902, it is one of four Carnegie Halls that is still in continuous use as
a performance venue. (Its Ivy Terrace Series hosts free concerts on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month throughout the summer.)
Lewisburg is also home to the General Lewis Inn, a historic boutique hotel that has been in continuous business since 1929. Visit the Thistle Lounge for a cocktail before enjoying locally inspired Southern dishes at The Dining Room within the inn.
At the far end of the loop, travelers can make a stop at Blackwater Falls State Park in the town of Davis and grab lunch at The Smokehouse. Located within the park, the restaurant offers both great fare and views of Blackwater Canyon. Elakala Falls sits beside Blackwater Lodge and is perfect for anyone making a quick stop. Those with more time can enjoy approximately 20 miles of hiking
Blackwater Falls (above) is located within Blackwater Falls State Park, which is also home to approximately 20 miles of hiking trails. Lewisburg, West Virginia, bills itself as “America’s Coolest Small Town” (left).
WEST VIRGINIA
trails and visits to other waterfalls in the park. Thirty-two miles south on state Route 32 and then U.S. Highway 33, travelers arrive at Seneca Rocks, a West Virginia gem with rock formations that rise nearly 900 feet above the North Fork River. After hiking, enjoy one of Yokum’s Grill’s famous hot dogs. The landmark restaurant’s West Virginia-style hot dog is topped with homemade chili, chopped onions, mustard, ketchup and slaw, and the family-owned spot has outdoor seating with stunning mountain views.
Continuing along the loop, the road becomes state Route 92 and passes through Green Bank before arriving in White Sulphur Springs, not far from the starting point of Lewisburg. Here, the world-famous Greenbrier Resort houses a formerly secret fallout shelter from the Cold War era that was devised to house Congress in the event of a national calamity. The bunker remained a secret for 30 years until its existence was made public in 1992. Tours are offered multiple times a day, and it is one of the property’s most popular attractions.
Scenic Trains
WHEN YOU GO
For more information about sites along the Seneca Skyway, visit wvtourism.com/ seneca-skyway.
Blackwater Falls State Park wvstateparks.com
Carnegie Hall carnegiehallwv.org
General Lewis Inn generallewisinn.com
Greenbrier Resort greenbrier.com
Seneca Rocks fs.usda.gov
Yokum’s Grill facebook.com/ yokumsgrill
Capitol Circle
This circular route runs 200 miles through the Metro Valley, allowing for stops at a historic downtown market, our nation’s newest national park and an exhibition coal mine museum.
Charleston, the capital of West Virginia, offers a city full of history. Kick off this 200-mile, nearly 6-hour loop through the Metro Valley at the locally loved Capitol Market, a year-round indoor and outdoor farmers market set in a former railroad depot warehouse. Special events are regularly scheduled, such as the “Let’s Get Cooking” series run by James Beard Award-winning chef Paul Smith, who owns 1010 Bridge in Charleston. (He is West Virginia’s first-ever James Beard Award winner.) Those
Ride the New Tygart Flyer, departing from Elkins, WV, for a scenic journey through West Virginia’s mountains, ending with a breathtaking view of the remote High Falls of Cheat an 18-foot cascade only accessible by train or trail A perfect blend of adventure, nature, and relaxation.
CHARLESTON
Time together becomes more precious everyday. Stroll our historic downtown or explore country roads full of lovingly preserved manors. Try a wine flight, a beer flight, or a spirits flight prior to enjoying a delicious meal. Take in an outdoor concert or a live performance at our historic theater. All just a short drive away in Berkeley County, West Virginia. get closer no need to go far to
WEST VIRGINIA
who attend Smith’s series get to sample food that he makes featuring ingredients sold at the market.
From there, travelers head out of town on Interstate 64 and then U.S. Highway 60, traveling 40 miles to the community of Gauley Bridge, the home of Cathedral Falls and Kanawha Falls. (Those who download the West Virginia Waterfall Trail passport can check in at waterfalls across the state to earn prizes such as a T-shirt, water bottle or limited-edition letterpress prints.)
After passing through Chimney Corner, the byway follows state Route 16 (although some travelers first visit the 270-acre Hawk’s Nest State Park recreational area off U.S. Highway 60) before arriving in Fayetteville, one of the state’s most famous outdoor destinations. Known for its whitewater rafting, Fayetteville is the home of New River Gorge National Park, the United States’ newest national park. Cathedral Cafe in downtown Fayetteville offers casual fare in a renovated church and makes for a great lunch spot.
State Route 16 heads out of town before connecting with U.S. Highway 19 for a roughly 30-minute drive to the town of Beckley, where travelers can stop off to visit the Beckley Exhi-
bition Coal Mine. The experience shares West Virginia’s deep ties to coal production, offering visitors tours through a mine by way of a train ride. Veteran miners are the tour guides and educate visitors about the importance of coal mining in America and provide a glimpse of what it was like to work in the mines. There is also a small coal museum and a re-created coal camp on-site.
From there, the route heads out of town along state Route 97 on to Pineville, which is known for Castle Rock, a 165-foot sandstone cliff popular for climbing and great photo opportunities. The byway route then follows state Route 10 and uses parts of state Route 73 and U.S. Highway 119, before connecting with Interstate 64 and heading back to Charleston.
WHEN YOU GO
For more information about sites along the Capitol Circle, visit wvtourism.com/ capitol-circle.
Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine beckley.gov/coal-mine
Capitol Market capitolmarket.net
Cathedral Cafe thecathedralcafe.com
Hawk’s Nest State Park wvstateparks.com
New River Gorge National Park nps.gov/neri
West Virginia Waterfall Trail wvtourism.com
HAWK’S NEST STATE PARK
As you explore Je erson County, welcoming towns will make you feel right at home. Sometimes a voice from the past will echo in the breeze. Endless scenic beauty surrounds historic streets rich with authentic avors, original shops, and a breath of fresh air. Come see us soon.
Je erson County, West Virginia it’s Where Almost Heaven Begins.
WEST VIRGINIA
Cranberry Corridor
This 211-mile route through the Mountain Lakes region passes by one of West Virginia’s most famous lakes, prime stargazing sites and a side trek to Glade Creek Grist Mill.
his drive through the Mountain Lakes region of West Virginia covers 211 miles and offers unique opportunities for nature enthusiasts. The byway begins in Summersville and takes a little under five hours to drive. Summersville Lake offers incredible scenery and has become a natural hub for adventurers, with waters that are welcoming whether travelers arrive with a boat, personal watercraft, kayak or stand-up paddleboard.
The dual Kirkwood Winery & Isaiah Morgan Distillery is located in town, as is Gad Dam Brewing, which offers a small food menu with West Virginia favorites like the pepperoni roll and a hot dog with chili, onions, slaw, mustard and ketchup alongside its list of craft beers. (Try the flagship honey kolsch.) Events throughout the year include occasional food truck gatherings that offer choices beyond the regular menu, as well as music, bingo, line dancing and yoga.
Heading east from Summersville, the route follows state Route 39 on the way to Cranberry Glades Botanical Area, a little over an hour’s drive from Summersville. Surrounded by spectacular mountains, Cranberry Glades is the largest area of bogs in the state. A boardwalk guides visitors to see rare botanical ecosystems that support two species of carnivorous plants.
Continue east on state Route 39 to U.S. Highway 219 and head north to Marlinton to visit Watoga State Park. With over 10,000 acres to explore, the state park is West Virginia’s largest and is home to Watoga Lake, as well as an on-site nature center and museum. It’s also designated as a Dark Sky Park, a distinction that the International Dark-Sky Association awards to the best stargazing sites around the globe. The park holds Dark Sky Parties during warmer months, where visitors can take in a night sky far away from the light pollution that spoils stargazing in
Boardwalk at Cranberry Glades Botanical Area (top); Watoga State Park has been designated a Dark Sky Park for its incredible stargazing opportunities (bottom).
more populated areas. Local astronomers are on hand to answer questions and assist with using the telescopes that have been set up for the public. Visitors frequently bring chairs and blankets and make a night of it. Next, travel south to Lewisburg, where the route heads west on Interstate 64 and back north toward Summersville on U.S. Highway 60 before returning to state Route 39 for the final stretch of the drive. It’s worth making a side trip off the established route to visit the picturesque Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park. The historic mill still grinds corn into cornmeal, which is available for purchase in the gift shop.
WHEN YOU GO
For more information about sites along the Cranberry Corridor, visit wvtourism.com/cranberry-corridor.
Babcock State Park wvstateparks.com
Cranberry Glades Botanical Area fs.usda.gov
Gad Dam Brewing gaddambrewing.com
Kirkwood Winery & Isaiah Morgan Distillery kirkwoodwinery.com
Summersville Lake State Park wvstateparks.com
Watoga Lake State Park wvstateparks.com
WEST VIRGINIA
Heritage Highway
This 194-mile loop begins at a landmark regional artist market and includes stops at inviting small towns, beautiful state parks and a well-known West Virginia overlook.
Charming small towns and a chance to explore the Hatfield-McCoy Trails are highlights of this scenic 194-mile loop, which takes a little over five hours to drive and promises breathtaking views and plenty of photo opportunities.
Start your trip at the Tamarack Marketplace in Beckley. Since 1996, the destination has been showcasing the work of regional artists and artisans in mediums ranging from woodworking and pottery to paintings and hand-blown glass. Visitors can explore working studios featuring glassblowing demonstrations by resident artist John DesMeueles. They can also enjoy watching other types of works being created live by visiting artists on the weekends. The on-site restaurant offers a menu of Appalachian-inspired cuisine such as rainbow trout, a fried green tomato sandwich and chicken pot pie.
From there, the route follows U.S. Highway 19 south through Princeton, a small town known for its charm and downtown revitalization efforts. Visit the Mercer Street Grassroots District to explore local shops
and grab a bite to eat. Be sure to stop at the Princeton Railroad Museum, located where the original Virginian Railway train station existed. Exhibits, artifacts, artwork and books on display teach museum visitors how the railroad industry laid the architecture for southern West Virginia to thrive. Next, keep heading south to Bluefield for an amazing opportunity to snap a photo on the Almost Heaven Swing located at the East River Mountain Scenic Overlook right outside of Bluefield. The West Virginia Department of Tourism installed handmade
wooden swings at scenic spots across the state to help visitors capture memorable photos during their travels. The East River Mountain Overlook is directly along the road and offers remarkable views of the rolling mountains. The byway follows different U.S. and state routes as it winds its way back north, where travelers can make stops at Pinnacle Rock State Park, a 396acre, day-use park in Bramwell known for its namesake stone outcropping.
more information about sites along the Heritage Highway, visit wvtourism.com/ heritage-highway.
Hatfield-McCoy Trails hatfieldmccoycvb.com
Mercer Street Grassroots District grassrootsdistrict.com
East Mountain Overlook bluefieldwv.gov
Pinnacle Rock State Park wvstateparks.com Tamarack Marketplace tamarackwv.com Twin Falls Resort State Park wvstateparks.com
Near the town of Saulsville, there is an opportunity to make a side trip to Twin Falls Resort State Park, a perfect home base for exploring the Hatfield-McCoy Trails’ more than 25 miles of hiking and biking routes. Twin Falls Resort State Park offers lodging tucked away on the mountaintop, and breakfast, lunch and dinner are served year-round at the Twin Falls Restaurant. For waterfall seekers, both the Marsh Fork and Black Fork Falls can be viewed from the state park’s 1-mile Falls Trail loop.
The East River Mountain Scenic Overlook outside of Bluefield is one of the most well-known overlooks in West Virginia (top). Princeton Railroad Museum houses exhibits, artifacts, artwork and books related to railroad history (above).
WEST VIRGINIA
Birdeye Bend
This 174-mile route in northern West Virginia offers visits to a popular college town, its only botanical garden and some of the state’s most beloved breweries.
Explore the northern West Virginia towns of Morgantown, Elkins and Clarksburg along this 174-mile-route that takes nearly four-and-ahalf hours to drive. The trip begins in Morgantown, home of West Virginia University, a well-known college town that sits along the Monongahela River and is filled with shops, breweries and local restaurants such as Table 9 (Morgantown’s first gastropub) and Bourbon Prime, which offers a casual dinner menu with dishes such as brisket sliders and a pepperoni roll alongside its impressive selection of bourbons
Nearby, Coopers Rock State Forest is popular among residents and tourists alike for its dramatic views of the Cheat River Gorge from the Coopers Rock Overlook. A short drive down the road, travelers can explore the Mountain State’s only botanical garden, an oasis for plant lovers and nature enthusiasts that celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025. Guided walks are offered throughout the year and cover topics ranging from wildflowers and trees to insects and amphibians. Groups are led by a guide for a richer experience that informs travelers about
the history of the area. There are multiple gardens and habitats to check out, and travelers can stop by the visitor center to ask what’s blooming.
A slight detour from the established route near Kingwood offers the chance to check out Cathedral State Park, a great spot to grab photos of the towering virgin hemlocks, ferns and wildflowers that flourish during the summertime.
State Route 72 continues from there to Parsons, which is home to the beloved beer-makers Mountain State Brewing Co. and Stumptown Ales, both of which distribute throughout the state and can be found on tap in a variety of local restaurants. Take a quick stop off the route along this stretch of U.S. Highway 250 to visit Molly’s Hand Dipped Ice Cream in downtown Philippi. The local favorite offers weekly rotating flavors and is located near other downtown restaurants and shops.
After that, travelers can head north along U.S. Highway 20 to Fairmount and check out another Waterfall Trail Passport destination, Valley Falls, which is located within Valley Falls State Park. While in the area, stop by Muriale’s Italian Kitchen, a local favorite since 1969 that serves authentic southern Italian dishes. Popular menu items include the meatball casserole, Taste of Italy (a tasting of ravioli, lasagna, rigatoni and meatballs) and the restaurant’s famous Aunt Mary’s Meat Lasagna, which is still made using the original recipe from 1969.
WHEN YOU GO
For more information about sites along the Birdeye Bend, visit wvtourism.com/ birdeye-bend.
Bourbon Prime bourbonprime.com
Cathedral State Park wvstateparks.com
Coopers Rock State Forest wvstateparks.com
Mountain State Brewing Co. mountainstatebrewing. com
Muriale’s Italian Kitchen muriales.com
Stumptown Ales stumptownales.com
Table 9 facebook.com/ table9morgantown
Valley Falls State Park wvstateparks.com
West Virginia Botanic Garden wvbg.org
Depending on their mobilephone carrier, travelers might encounter spotty service on these scenic drives through West Virginia. The West Virginia Department of Tourism website offers links to maps of the region that can be downloaded and used on your smartphone offline. For more information, visit wvtourism.com.
VALLEY FALLS
such as Canal Winchester, Chillicothe, Dover, Kent, Miamisburg and Troy, sprouted up around canals, and because those erstwhile waterways were turned into roadways, such as Cincinnati’s Central Parkway, Dayton’s Patterson Boulevard and Toledo’s Anthony Wayne Trail, canals still define cities. Canal streets abound in small towns, old towpaths serve as recreational trails and former canal reservoirs like Grand Lake St. Marys have become state parks.
Remnants of locks haunt Ohio like archaeological ruins. The Lockington Locks’ massive limestone blocks are an American Stonehenge, marking the Miami & Erie Canal’s high point and display distinctive grooves worn by the ropes of forgotten canalboats. In Groveport, the remains of Lock 22 anchor Blacklick Park, while Akron’s Cascade Locks Park showcases the Mustill Store at Lock 15, as well as the millrace where Quaker Oats founder Ferdinand Schumacher made cereal. And just outside Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Ca-
nal Exploration Center, living history interpreters periodically show visitors how Lock 38 worked. It is the last original Ohio & Erie lock still functioning.
Born on a canalboat in 1872, Captain Pearl Nye lived and worked on the Ohio & Erie Canal until 1913. He wrote and recorded many folk songs romanticizing “those balmy days upon the old canal” that are preserved by the Library of Congress. Thanks to Ohio’s rich canal heritage, four historic canal stops conjure those days for modern visitors by offering narrated, mule-drawn and horsedrawn rides on reproduction canalboats.
On the Ohio & Erie Canal, the horsedrawn St. Helena III departs from Canal Fulton’s Canalway Center and travels to Lock 4, while just outside Historic Roscoe Village, where Nye built a house on an abandoned lock using old canalboat materials, the ticello III is based at Coshocton Lake Park.
Near Piqua, the Johnston Farm & Indian Agency gives rides on the and guided tours of the farmhouse where Miami & Erie Canal commissioner John Johnston and his family lived. And at Provi dence Metropark near Grand Rapids, travel ers can sample Miami & Erie Canal life circa
1876 by riding The Volunteer through Lock
This photograph shows what was left of the Miami & Erie Canal in Dayton sometime between 1935 and 1940.
MILESTONES
Armstrong Air & Space Museum Opens in Wapakoneta
On July 20, 1972, the museum showcasing aviation and space history was unveiled in the famed astronaut’s hometown.
Three years to the day after Neil Armstrong took those historic first steps on the moon, his home town of Wapakoneta marked the occasion with the opening of a museum in his honor.
On July 20, 1972, the northwest Ohio community cele brated the unveiling of the Armstrong Air & Space Museum. Commissioned in 1969 by then-Gov. James A. Rhodes, the $1 million project was intended to commem orate Armstrong’s achievement and showcase a collec tion of artifacts marking feats by fellow Ohioans like John Glenn and the Wright brothers.
News outlets across the state reported on the Armstrong Air & Space Museum’s opening, including The
Discover national attractions, museums, and historic sites.
After a day full of festivities, treat yourself to award-winning dining, wineries, and breweries. Catch live music, special events, and entertainment happening all summer long. Plus, don’t miss out on local shopping, vibrant arts, and one-of-a-kind experiences.
Dining Destinations
• Award-winning restaurants
• Craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries
• Food Tours & Outdoor Refreshment Areas
Festivals & Events
• Concerts & Live Music
• Sports Tournaments & Championships VisitCanton.com
Attractions & Entertainment
• Art, History, & Science Museums
• Family Fun Parks & Amusement Centers
• Unique Shopping Experiences
